The Hands of a Man
by coffeedrinker62a
Summary: Seeming perfect in every way, a tall, handsome and broad-shouldered Keitaro takes possession of the Hinata. Even with all of his accomplishments, he learns that there is something missing from his life. AU/OOC w/many new OC's. Filthy language, innuendo, sarcasm, adult humor and naughty bits along with many surprises. Enjoy.
1. Plans, Introductions and Getting to Work

'The Hands of a Man'  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's notes: As you see below, I am going to use most of the same introduction as the original writer.

Too many stories I have seen written about Urashima Keitaro being a weak and shy man who is not that much on the ball, so to speak. I want to try to come up with a different characterization of Ken Akamatsu's main protagonist from Love Hina.

This version of Keitaro will be older than in either the anime or the manga (age 24).

Bright, articulate, strong, and afraid of absolutely nothing are some of the changes to his character. Along with this, our hero is 1.83-meters tall and weighs in at about 88-kilos of solid muscle.

In addition, he is a workaholic, very quiet, willing to meet any challenge head on and someone who will not put up with crap from anybody. But, like the Keitaro we do know: he will still be friendly, loyal to his friends and tenants, one to keep his promises religiously and works on things until he was satisfied that the task is complete in a timely manner.

This will be his story and about his dream of turning the Hinata Hill into his home. So as you can see he will be very much OOC.

Japanese surnames are always first.

Story notes about the other characters: Kitsune will be very OOC as she works hard with Haruka, falls extremely hard for Keitaro at first sight and is a successful author, as we will find out.

Motoko will be OOC the most, as she has had a crush on Keitaro since she was a little girl.

Haruka and Tsuruko will surprise everyone with a story of their own.

Naru, as with the two mentioned above, will have a very different take on her part in this story.

New characters added for continuity, as they will enhance the main storyline.

Time of this story begins in the spring of 2014 just after the new school year begins, so let us say about the first week of April just as the Sakura are peaking.

Chapter 1: Plans, Introductions and Getting to Work

Sixteen-year-old Aoyama Motoko is on the roof deck of her home at the Hinata Sou. As such, she is out here this early doing her Katas with an ancient blade called Shi-sui (Still water).

Workouts such as these always leave her with a lot of energy and keeps her in great shape.

Second in line to inherit the Shinmeiryu Dojo and Aoyama Clan properties in Kyoto, she moved here because of problems within the family.

Before starting school each day, and even on the weekends, Motoko gets out of bed early because she is very fastidious about doing her daily exercises. So zealous is she about this, you sometimes can set your watch by her.

Nevertheless, most the time Motoko finds that she is not always the first one up.

All she has to do is take one whiff to smell the wonderful breakfast one of her roommates is cooking. The wondrous aromas emanating from the old manse's kitchen sometimes interferes with her meditation, which it does when she tries to center herself.

Uncharacteristically for her, Motoko giggles when she hears her stomach growl, as it exacerbates the trouble she has in trying to get into the proper mind frame on this particular morning.

Nothing distracts her concentration though as hearing a large helicopter, whose roaring twin engines and its whirling rotors passes overhead at this very moment.

Looking up, Motoko sees the large aircraft with a cargo net suspended underneath carrying a square-bottomed load.

'Nothing like the JSDF to unsettle one's morning,' thinks the teenage Samurai.

With her morning meditation already shot, Motoko gets up off the deck, gathers her belongings and hurries down to shower before breakfast.

Forty-five minutes later…

"That's the second time this morning," says Maehara Shinobu to herself looking out the kitchen window. This is, after hearing and feeling the vibrations of a large army helicopter go overhead of her home.

Meaning nothing to her, she just dismisses this event as just another flight event by the JSDF.

This petit miss is only fourteen years old, a culinary genius and domestic wizard. In reality, this shy young ninth-grader is the heart and soul of this generation of Hinata residents.

Without her, this place would look like the pigsty it was before she moved in. In lieu of rent, she does the majority of the chores around the Hinata, willingly and with great skill.

The other residents say that if it were not for her, the Hinata would implode from all of the clutter and mess that they generate.

Right now though, she is just waiting for her Senpais to come down for breakfast.

Third time, forty-five minutes later…

"Hey, that's a Boeing™ CH-47D 'Chinook'. I wonder if that's yummy?" asks a young wide-eyed foreign fifteen-year-old Princess by the name of Kaolla Su hailing from the island nation of MolMol in the Indian Ocean.

Along with three of her housemates, she sees the flying behemoth go overhead as it has already twice before on this particular warm and sunny morning.

"The navigator must be using the Hinata as a reference point because it had banked off a little when it flew over us," adds Kaolla offhandedly. She steps out into the front courtyard and joins her Senpais.

The quartet descends the ancient stone stairs that will take them to the bottom of the hill so that they all can catch their tram to school.

Last time, about an hour later…

The owner of the Hinata Tea Shoppe, at the bottom of Hinata Hill, steps out the back to catch her breath after the early morning rush.

The proprietor of this place is one Urashima Haruka, who along with her assistant Konno Mitsune aka 'Kitsune' has turned the place into a raging success.

The Shoppe was a gift that she had received from her Hina Obaa-san after graduating from college as her inheritance.

One this lovely morning, she is glad that she quit smoking when she did after getting her degree. Inhaling cigarettes as she used to, it almost affected her health. A little meditation with help from the family Martial Arts, a couple of anger management classes and a large punching bag later, she has finally kicked the habit.

"Shit, again!" growls the Urashima woman.

The same helicopter once more flies low over the Hinata.

Almost anything sets her off in the morning before she has her first cup of coffee.

"The fucking Army must be doing some big things around here to fly over a small town like this that many times, eh Haruka," says Kitsune having come out the back of the shop just in time to see the aircraft fly overhead.

"Maybe, Kit," Haruka says after the noise of the helicopter fades off into the distance, "Although, I would have heard if something were up around here."

After a few minutes, one of the wait staff tells Haruka that a customer needs to know the prices on some of tea blends that the shop sells, so both of them know their break is over.

Later that same morning…

The traffic on the main highway into the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture is almost non-existent at this time of morning.

'Good thing I could get all of my stuff moved as I did, or it'd be kind of tough transporting the big shit,' muses one Urashima Keitaro.

Sitting on the wrong side behind the wheel of a brand new Nissan™ Titan© crew-cab pick-up truck imported from the USA, he is driving out to his new home and has more than a few people staring at him because of it.

Ignoring it, he drives on.

The vehicle is a graduation gift from his Tou-san, who almost getting him a BMW™ or a Porsche™ for his graduation gift instead. Knowing better than to do that, what would his son want with a high performance sports car anyway?

As a very practical young man, Keitaro can be a workaholic and now at twenty-four, he is a holder of a Master's Degree from Tokyo University. A very prestigious accomplishment, which he completed a year early.

The truck however is more in-line with his personality and he can store his more personal items in the back.

He has dual Degree in Mechanical and Applied Engineering along with his Master's Degree sitting on the passenger seat next to a tin of coffee, and his favorite work jacket. He took this particular course of study so he could learn the theories behind the practicality of how things work.

This is how his mind works too.

"Just glad that is over with so I can get back to working full-time again," he whispers wanting to flex his muscles again.

Not really needing a job, he is the heir to one of the richest families in all of Japan.

Getting to opportunity of a lifetime, he has just found out from his Obaa-san's lawyers that he has just inherited a substantial amount of money and land from her.

Now, with this presented to him, he is going to work to make the Hinata Hill and its environs his home.

Keitaro looks forward to the challenge.

Outside of Chigasaki, (Writer's Note: real city SW of Yokohama and Tokyo) he turns off to get onto the main road that leads to Hinata City.

Crossing a familiar bridge before entering into Hinata City proper, Keitaro looks over to see the well-worn building that is his cousin Haruka's Tea Shoppe at the base of his new home.

It has been a while since he last visited the ancestral hometown of the powerful Urashima clan.

For the last nine years, except for school and helping out his father out, Keitaro has pretty much led a vagabond life.

Since turning fifteen back then, he has been learning different construction and industrial skills all over Japan. In addition to this, he still maintained top marks in high school and at Tokyo University.

Pulling his truck into the lot aside his cousin's place, he parks close to the front door.

"Shit, this place is going to need some major renovations soon," says Keitaro making some quick mental notes about the exterior condition. Seeing that the place will need a minor fix-up very soon, he knows that the Tea Shoppe is close to four-hundred years old.

Before stepping inside, Keitaro takes a deep breath because it has been a couple of years since he was last here. Hoping that his cousin Haruka is not too angry with him since he had last called, the man steels himself for the possible 'shit storm'.

Inside…

Kitsune has just finished clearing a table whose former occupant had left her his phone number.

Tossing the number in the trash, she looks up to see the most perfect specimen of a man she is ever seen walk in the front door.

Dropping her table rag, Kitsune's mouth falls open.

What she sees is a tall, muscular young man with bulging biceps, a narrow waist with what could be a washboard torso under his shirt, slim hips and powerful looking legs. To top it all off, he has a well-combed mop of jet-black hair, which to her makes him seem to be an absolute god-like example of what a man should be.

Gob-smacked, Kitsune along with every other woman in the shop can only drool at the young man who has just walked in. With a winning smile, nothing seems to bother him with all the attention he is garnering at this moment.

"Kei-kun!" rings out the voice of Haruka from the kitchen.

It wakes Kitsune and the others out of their reverie.

The young man smiles as Haruka comes into the main room.

However, she surprises everyone by swatting his arm with a paper fan that she keeps in her apron.

After this bit of silliness, the two hug each other warmly.

"Kei-kun," says Haruka hugging him again as tears fall from her eyes, "you had better have a damn good reason why you haven't bothered to call or e-mail me at all in the last two years? I ought to kick the living shit out of you for ignoring me that long, you silly baka."

Seeing an empty booth in the corner, she gestures for them to sit there so that they can talk.

"Sorry about that, Haru-chan," Keitaro says with a sheepish smile.

Nodding to her cousin, she wants to hear what he has to say.

Placing one of his huge calloused-over hands on top of Haruka's, he then continues, "You know how I get when I'm concentrating on something. It seems like I forget the rest of the world sometimes. I wanted to get my degree so that you would be proud of me."

"How can you say that?" asks Haruka smiling and giving him a dubious look, "I've always been proud of you. Shit, I practically raised you because your Kaa-san and Tou-san were so busy. Why would I not be proud of you? Shit, everything you've ever done I've taken pride in."

Smiling at her exaggeration, he knows how much she watched him when his parents' were busy.

"Yeah, I know Haru-chan," says Keitaro in a quiet voice, "But, I'm here to stay now because Obaa-san finally ceded the Hinata to me."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that because we've a lot to catch up on," says Haruka who spies Kitsune heading their way, "and Reiji-kun will be happy as well."

After a few moments, Kitsune sits next to Haruka and places her chin in her hands. Even without a formal introduction, she cannot keep her eyes off him.

Because as strange as it may seem, Mitsune aka the 'Fox', due to how her eyes are when not fully open, cannot help but stare at the man seated across from her. In a world of her own right now, she ignores the conversation happening between the two cousins.

Usually catching the eye of men first, she can be a bit of a flirt as Kitsune is an extremely striking woman…

However, no one, and I mean no one, has ever captured her attention like the handsome stranger who has just walked in and is sitting across from Haruka.

"Kitsune! Earth to Kitsune over," says Haruka looking at the woman seated next to her. Then, she realizes that Kitsune has fallen victim to her cousin's natural charm.

Not getting a response out of the Fox, Haruka gently shakes her until she comes back to this plain of existence.

Laughter from Haruka while Keitaro just sits there with a slightly amused look on his face.

"Wha…. What is it Haruka?" asks the ash-blonde shaking her head trying after failing to compose herself.

The older woman uses her thumb to point at Keitaro.

"Oh I am sorry, suga'," she says extending her hand, "I am Konno Mitsune, but you can call me Kitsune."

"It's my pleasure, Kitsune," says Keitaro matter-of-fact understanding that she is from Osaka, "Call me Keitaro."

With a warm smile now, he kindly takes her hand.

Even though her wits have returned, all she can do is nod her head dumbly. It seems like an unknown strength or power shoots right through her as their skin makes contact.

It almost overwhelms her.

His huge calloused hand has a rough feeling to it, but he is also oh so gentle with hers.

Receiving a tingly feeling, Kitsune experiences something that has never had happen to her before when she has touched a man. This beautiful lady, this charmer who had entranced many men in the past by her looks, has in turn just fallen very hard for a man she had just met mere moments ago.

"Oh yeah, Haru-chan," says Keitaro apologetically to his cousin, "Sorry about the helicopter flights earlier this morning. A friend of mine, Hanabi Matsuo-san helped me by flying in my heaviest tools and equipment out into the back of Hinata Hill. His family owns a helicopter charter business over in Kamakura. They just bought a couple of surplus US choppers from the JSDF, so I helped my friend fix and modernize them. To say thanks, he flew my stuff out to the back of the hill free of charge. I didn't realize that I had accumulated that much stuff."

Haruka knows that he has a habit of doing things himself and not leaving it to others.

"I had my larger equipment and tool boxes stored in one of their empty hangars along with some shed kits. Now that everything I own is up top here, the new choppers have place to call home, as do I," he adds.

"I was wondering what-the-hell was going on so early this morning," says Haruka, "If I had known it was you I would have just said 'that's typical of the workaholic Kei-kun' the man I have known since he was born." Then turning to the Fox, she says, "Kitsune, this man here (pointing at Keitaro) would get up before anyone else I know. He also only goes to bed when needs to and will keep working until he collapses over his work area. You do not know how many times that I have had to put him to bed when he was a kid after I found him sleeping over something he had been working on. It's more times than I can remember."

"Yes you did Haru-chan," says Keitaro with a warm smile on his face, "and I remember many times you'd just lay a blanket over me when I got older. Hey, I just love doing things. You know the old saying about life being short."

Nodding at those memories, Haruka can only laugh.

"Oh, and before I forget, Haru-chan," he adds, "I'm going to head up the old back hunter's road that goes up by the old dilapidated Annex and unpack my equipment. We dropped off quite a few pallets. Then I also have to organize everything and then have use some of the empty rooms in the manse's lower floor to set up my shops in."

"Have you had anything to eat this morning Kei-kun?" asks Haruka remembering how large his large appetite is.

"I'm a bit hungry after all of the shit I had moved already this morning," he says knowing she was not about to let him get away without a proper breakfast.

A growling stomach causes some female giggling.

"Kei-kun, you stay right there," says Haruka who goes to get her cook to fix her beloved cousin a big breakfast.

Still staring at him, Kitsune still feels all mushy inside.

'Shit, this has never happened before,' she thinks feeling her panties getting a little moist.

"Hey, Kei-kun. Did Obaa-san or her lawyers tell you about the old place?" asks Haruka hating to put a damper on his growing enthusiasm. Someone has to tell him the truth about what Hina Obaa-san did to the old place.

She brings out a big plate with many dishes on it for him.

"Yeah, but I hope the girls won't feel too put out by what I'll be doing to the place," says Keitaro, again using a matter-of-fact tone as he wolfs down his cousin's food, "Do you have any info on them, Haru-chan? I want to know who I'll be dealing with later when I head inside to formally introduce myself."

Looking a little startled by his tone and non-chalant attitude about people living in his new home, Kitsune does not know what to think.

Seeing this, Keitaro looks at the ash-haired beauty and says, "Oh don't worry, Kitsune. I am just curious as to why my Obaa-san would have done this, so I will not ask you or the others to leave. As a matter-of-fact, I'll be staying at a camp right out back during the spring and summer months."

Saying that he will not be staying in the Hinata itself, surprises both women.

Getting up for a minute, Haruka goes back to her office to get her cousin the file, which has the information about the residents.

Wondering how he knows that she lives up there, Kitsune is happy to know that Keitaro will be nearby and possibly

"Hina Baa-chan sent me a preliminary list of the residents living up above," says Keitaro after Haruka hands him a manila folder, "Right now only five of the rooms are occupied on one side."

"Kitsune, I'm glad to see you live up there," adds Keitaro making Kitsune feel better because that answers any of her lingering doubts.

Due to his unintended use of innuendo, dirty thoughts then come into her mind.

Downing the last of the delicious Miso that Haruka brought out for him, he opens the folder.

Looking at pictures of the residents, he continues, "I see Aoyama Motoko-chan lives here too. She had developed a huge crush on me when I helped with the rebuilding of the Aoyama Dojo seven years ago."

'Is he talking about the same Kendo girl?' Kitsune thinks. Having known her for the last three years, that does not sound like the same Motoko to her.

"When we last went to Kyoto, Haru-chan," says Keitaro looking at her, "That girl, though shy as she was, hung around me like a little puppy."

Smiling, he fondly remembers Motoko as a little girl.

Kitsune has something new to tease the Kendo girl about now.

"Thanks for a great breakfast, Haru-chan," says Keitaro looking towards the door.

"Heading out?" asks Haruka with a smile.

"I am heading up and starting right in," says Keitaro handing her a business card out of his shirt pocket, "I will take this folder with me. Please call me on my cell when the others get home so I can formally introduce myself to them. My new number is on it too."

"Kitsune-san, it's been a pleasure and I look forward to seeing you later," says Keitaro getting up from the booth.

As he heads out, Kitsune follows him outside of the shop.

Smiling while standing there in the doorway finger waving at Keitaro as he gets into his pick-up, she fights a wild hair to jump into the truck with him. It would be enjoyable for her to be with him as he tends to his belongings.

Coming back to reality, Kitsune's smile gets bigger knowing that she will see him later in the day.

Liking the good-looking young woman who works for Haruka, Keitaro puts any thoughts about her into the back of his mind as he drives off.

Though not for too long…

Mid-morning, back property of Hinata Hill…

On the way over to the old grassy road up to the top of Hinata Hill, Keitaro has a pleasant memory of when he was a little boy.

Showing him how to build birdhouses, his Tou-san wanted Keitaro to enjoy doing things with his hands. Afterwards, they would come here with Kanako and hang them for the finches, sparrows and swallows. Many times they would also have lunch or fire up a hibachi set up to cook on, so they could watch the little birds as they enjoyed their new homes. Then, the three of them would also have fun swimming in the freshwater lake by the waterfall that cascades down from the higher points on Hinata Hill.

So many great memories of when he was younger.

'Why did I allow the good times in my life to end back then?' he thinks retrospectively missing his Imouto as well.

Frowning before putting it aside, Keitaro knows that he has to deal with that situation as soon as possible.

For now though…

Unloading all of the pallets takes only a few hours.

Breaking the smaller loads down, he organizes everything by priority, size, where they are going and the time of year he will be using them. Keitaro arranges every detail down to the smallest iota.

Then, he has three tractors that need to be untied and driven off their pallets: one that has a front-end loader and backhoe, one for towing medium-sized loads aka a farm tractor, and a smaller garden tractor.

It is also nice having a four-wheel stake-sided flatbed trailer along with a heavier capacity low boy ramp trailer for bringing his possessions over to the manse. On the other hand, wherever it is they will need to be.

Loading the low boy first with his machine shop equipment, which he disassembled for aerial transport into small loads that can easily put back together later, he then secures it for transport over to the manse.

Next is his woodworking equipment: things like lathes, drill presses, saws and shop hand tools. These he secures as well.

They are going to the same place, but into a different room.

After this, he uncrates some resin sheds of different sizes and assembles them quickly. These are for his two smaller tractors, a couple of his small generators, chainsaws, fuel and oil cans, welding equipment, two large and two small capacity air tanks, gardening equipment, masonry and plumbing supplies, plus his nail gun and boxes of nails.

And last for now, Keitaro sets up his large ripsaw: he assembles the table, cradle, pulleys and puts the drive strap back where the medium tractor can back up to run it. This last machine is of his own design so he does not have to buy lumber. A drying kiln for seasoning lumber he will build later for the wood that he will be cutting down when he is ready to start the second phase of his plan.

Then to clean up, he stacks the pallets behind one of his sheds to be recycled into something else or he will cut them up and burn as kindling.

When he stows away all of his possessions, Keitaro begins to build a camp for his temporary summer home.

His camping equipment is in the back of the pick-up truck.

First, up goes an army-style tent. It is a large enough to house six soldiers comfortably in the field.

Next, he opens in a portable bed frame inside the tent and lays an actual mattress on it.

Then in goes a footlocker, coat rack, Franklin Stove®, a small refrigerator (he will run a line to it when he heads over to the Hinata. Using one of his generators for the appliances out here seems a little wasteful to him), his laptop, a military-style clerks folding desk and stool.

The last thing, out of the backseat of his truck, he takes an old antique American oil lamp that was a gift from his Kaa-san. It is one of his most prized possessions and places on top of his desk.

Grabbing one of his chainsaws, he gasses and oils it. At that point, Keitaro proceeds to cut down a few small trees that are already dead for some instant firewood.

Later, he will thin out some of the overgrowth and make woodpiles for seasoning logs to burn this winter.

Finding some old slate and medium-sized stones, Keitaro lays out a good-sized fire pit about five meters away from his tent after clearing away some grass. Then as a lark, he puts up a slotted grate over where the fire will be so he can do some open air cooking.

Looking over the encampment and storage areas, Keitaro is happy at how fast he unloads everything and stows away. As stated before, when he starts a task, he does it efficiently and in a timely manner.

Taking a drink out of the cooler, which he filled with the cold spring water, he is grateful that his clan can truly boast of having of the freshest in all of the empire.

Taking a deep breath, Keitaro sets the cooler on a folding table that he erects as part of his outdoor kitchen. He likes to cook and bake learning these skills from his Tou-san.

Speaking of which, he will call his Tou-san later to let him know that he has taken possession of his inheritance.

Looking at the rear of the manse, Keitaro sees the door that leads to the lower-level storage area. It has six large rooms and connects to a hallway that leads into the main house.

Choosing two rear storage rooms for his shops, he hopes that they are far enough away from the residents. Yes, he wants his shops, but he does not want to interfere with the girls' lives or their daily routines.

Backing his tractor to the loaded trailer, Keitaro connects them together and hooks up the safety chain as well as the rear lights.

Finding a shallow spot in the stream, he drives his tractor across and parks by the door.

"This needs a new door," he mutters making a mental note of its condition.

Heading into the backdoor of his new home, Keitaro hauls all of machinery in parts that he will reassemble as soon as he can.

'At least this place looks decent,' he muses after inspecting all six rooms.

Going up to the second floor where the main junction box is, he open the closet and immediately knows that he has to replace it before either there is, a major blackout up here, or the thing starts a fire. Boxes of old fuses strewn about with a pair of offsets and a heavy-duty rubber glove sits here too.

Since this place is old and the wood is dry, it will go up in flames very quickly.

'This fucking thing should've been replaced a long time ago,' thinks Keitaro with a bit of scorn at how dilapidated, outdated and dangerous this old box is, 'There is no way in hell that this fucking thing support all of my power equipment.'

Going outside for a moment, Keitaro checks his lowboy. Opening a large cardboard box, he pulls out a new large high capacity breaker box, a fire panel and four new chemical extinguishers.

Placing them in the closet where the old fuse box is, he is going to fix this possible problem first before the old place goes up in flames.

Pulling a small well-worn leather covered notebook from his front shirt pocket, Keitaro writes some notes in it (not that he needs to mind you).

"0 for 2 so far," whispers Keitaro walking down to his Baa-chan's former bedroom.

Sliding open the traditional door, the first thing he notices is a hole in the ceiling that has a sheet of plywood sheet covering it from room upstairs. This definitely needs repairing before someone falls through and gets hurt.

Satisfied for now, he steps out of the room and slides the door closed behind him.

Heading downstairs out the old backway, he heads back to tend to the rest of his belongings.

Out of the back of the four-door pick-up's cab, Keitaro grabs some clean clothes and a pair of fresh boxer shorts. The clothes he has on are now dirty and sweat stained.

In need of a break, he decides to take a dip in the hill's pristine lake.

Looking around, Keitaro smiles when he sees that many of the birdhouses that he made as a child are still in use here.

Stripping and draping his clothes over a low branch, Keitaro wades out into the cold, refreshing water that had always re-invigorated him as a youngster.

Swimming over to a shorter part of the falls, he steps underneath the cascade and feels the fresh water wash over his head.

'Wow,' he thinks, 'this place is all mine now.'

However, Keitaro does have one quite large problem to deal with, that is, cold water usually causes his huge cock to become erect. For now, relieving himself is out of the question, so he chooses to meditate under the falls for as long as it takes him to bring back his center.

Seeing Kitsune earlier does not help him since the beautiful is still on his mind.

After his swim and dressing, Keitaro pulls a small snack out from an ice chest along with a can of cold beer.

After finishing his workday, Keitaro usually eats his dinner and packs away as many calories as he humanly.

_BRRR! BRRR!_

Picking up his cell phone, he sees that it is Haruka.

"Moshi, moshi. Hi, Haru-chan," he responds.

"Everyone is home," she says, "but I have not told them that you are here yet."

"No problem, I will meet you out in front of the Hinata in 30 minutes," he responds before hitting the disconnect icon.

Half an hour later…

Standing at the entrance to the Hinata, Keitaro waits for Haruka to come up from her place.

With the Tea Shoppe closed for the evening, he sees that Haruka is alone and figures that Kitsune must be up here already.

"Well, I hope you weren't waiting too long, Kei-kun," says Haruka seeing her cousin looking up at the walls and roof of the ancient building.

"The old place needs a lot of work, Haru," says Keitaro off-handedly, as the two then go inside together. Taking off their shoes, the cousins go over to the common room.

"Have a seat, Kei-kun. I'll get the girls," says Haruka heading over to the staircase.

A few seconds later, she lets out a loud whistle with her lips and fingers to signal the residents to come downstairs.

Motoko's POV…

In her room up on the third floor finishing her homework, Motoko hears the familiar whistle that only Haruka can produce.

It is loud, shrill, very piercing and will give you a headache if you are not used to it. On the other hand, if you also stand next to her when she cuts loose. That sound means there is to be a meeting in the common and attendance is always mandatory.

The teen Samurai stands and straightens her Hakama. The Samurai checks her Gi before grabbing her Bokken from the weapons rack, which is next to the suit of traditional armor, and places it in her Uwa-obi before stepping out.

As she heads down the hallway, the warrior maiden feels a familiar aura that makes her heart leap out a little out in anticipation. Her pulse races faster as she descends the stairs to the main floor and sees her Keitaro-sama sitting on a couch in the common room.

Liking what she sees, this teenage Samurai usually has a negative opinion of the male half of the species, as the only exception to this rule is her Keitaro-sama.

Centering herself the best she can, Motoko smiles and goes to greet him.

Naru's POV…

Putting on comfortable clothes and looking rather sloppy, a beautiful young woman sits at her Kotatsu with a college study guide in her hand. Ranked first in her particular high school after having just started her third year, she usually wears her coke-bottle glasses and braids to make the boys in her class avoid her.

In addition to this, she also has a Ki-loaded right hand that is her insurance against them confessing to her.

This young woman is not into men as she is gay. With her girlfriend as a first year at Tokyo University, she just wants to concentrate and enter that school to be with her.

_With this, Naru has also formed some very negative opinions about the other half of the species._

Drawing Naru out of her zone is a loud whistle that only Haruka can do, and she knows to come down to the common room.

Running down the stairs, she sees Keitaro sitting there.

"What the hell is this man doing here in an all-girl's dorm, Haruka-san," says the bespectacled brunette.

This brings Motoko out of her reverie just before walking up to Keitaro.

"All men do is want to peep on innocent young girls and molest them with their perverted ways," says Naru in a brusque manner.

With the Samurai standing nearby, the temperature in the room mysteriously seems to do a sudden dip.

Before Motoko can respond to Naru's insult, her close young friend comes happily scampering in.

Kaolla's POV…

Sitting in the hallway on the third floor enjoying the late day sun coming in the traditional window of the Hinata, Kaolla is going over the designs of her latest revision of a flying Mecha-tama.

This hyperactive foreign young teen has a penchant for making things before blowing them up. With a truly maniacal laugh, she does all of this with the wide-eyed wonder combined per the innocence of a young girl.

A loud piercing whistle comes up the stairs bringing her back to reality. Wrapping up her blueprints, she puts everything she is working on inside of her room. Running to the common room after literally jumping down two flights of stairs barefoot, the dark-skinned Princess sees the handsome man sitting on the couch.

"Someone new here at the Hinata, all I want to know is he yummy and can he be my playmate?" asks a blonde dark-skinned blur in rapid succession.

Kitsune's POV…

Still thinking about her earlier meeting with Haruka's cousin, the Fox is going through her closet to find something appropriate to greet that handsome man when he returns.

No one has smitten her before like this in her life, as she had thought that her former boyfriend was a stud, but he is nothing like the man she saw sitting across from her at the table this morning.

Moreover, she just loves how he radiates confidence and has such a good sense of himself. It also helps that he is rich, smart and has a 'killer' of a body. That 'six-pack' torso of his makes the ash-blonde drool causing her to fantasize about him holding her in those magnificent arms of his before she touches him all over.

'I wonder if he's packing too,' she thinks while wiping the drool from her mouth.

Hearing Haruka's whistle, she almost starts to freak because she has not picked out anything special. Sizing up her luscious body in her full-length mirror, she quickly decides that what she has on will catch his eye.

After another moment or so, she heads out to catch herself a new man.

A further interruption in Motoko's greeting comes in the form of the ash-blonde bombshell that makes her presence known into the common room.

Definitely not dressed for work, Kitsune saunters over and sits on the couch in the spot that had Motoko picked out for herself.

An almost audible whimper from the Samurai, as any casual greetings from the taller teen will have to wait until later.

From over by the staircase, Haruka says in a loud voice, "Naru-chan, knock that shit off right now. You will be in a hell of a lot of trouble with me if you ever refer to my cousin, and the new Kanrinin here, as a pervert ever again."

Everyone sees Naru blanch, as she knows to keep her mouth shut from here on out.

No one wants to antagonize Haruka and get on her shit list.

Coming back over to the common room, a petite teenager follows close behind the now former housemother and smiles shyly.

Shinobu's POV…

There must be some magic in this old place thinks a petite bluenette as she begins to prepare dinner.

Giving a small bundle of bananas to Kaolla keeps her foreign friend out of her hair while she cooks.

Having smart Senpais has definitely helped her grades to go up drastically, as she is near the top of her class now.

Nevertheless, that is only the surface of how she truly feels. The thing is that even after her parents' divorce, the two still snipe at each other and sometimes they include her when they bitch at each other.

Unknown to her, Shinobu's life is about to take a drastic turn for the better.

The piercing whistle from Haruka signals some meeting or other so she puts her preparations on hold before heading into the common room.

With it quiet now, it begins…

Standing up and stepping over to the end of the room, Keitaro takes a good look at everyone. Four pairs of eyes just drool at this specimen of a man before them.

After Haruka's admonition, Naru will reserve her judgment towards this man until she gets to know him better.

"I am generally a man of very few words, as I believe in letting my actions speak for me instead. I just have a few things to say before you formally introduce yourselves to me. First, my name is Urashima Keitaro. I am the new owner of the Hinata and all of its surrounding property save the Tea Shoppe. Second, until I have a full handle on the living situation here, I will be staying at a camp that I have set up outside in the back until the end of the summer. Third, I will be making big improvements and modernizing this place, because frankly, it really needs it. For sure, I will be replacing old fuse box and will install a new more modern breaker box in a few days before we have a fire here. Also, if I am working in the onsen or anywhere else on the property, be extremely careful because this place needs a lot of cleaning. I mean to restore the Hinata to its former glory. Lastly, Hina Baa-chan had her office in her room upstairs, but until further notice, the office will be wherever I am. Usually, I work very long hours and it is my wish not to keep anyone awake. If you need me, just want to talk or you want to help me out here, I am going to set up a radio system and post my cell number. Oh yes, there is one more thing, I have converted two rooms down in the old storage area into workshops. I'll be using them mostly during the day, so if you want to see me, need something fixed or want something made, come see me then."

Finishing, Keitaro sits down between Kitsune and Motoko.

Both smile at him.

"Kei-kun, why are you being so modest?" asks Haruka teasingly, "Everybody, this man before you graduated at the top of his class from Tokyo University and has also just received his Master's Degree in Engineering. I called your Tou-san to ask him what you have been doing since you weren't forthcoming."

"WHAT?"

End of Chapter


	2. Plowing right in

'The Hands of a Man'  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's note: Many events cram themselves into this chapter. However, this is to prove the point that Keitaro is a driven workaholic.

Chapter 2: Plowing right in

A puzzled Haruka still does not understand why he will not let anyone know about his accomplishments academically. Mostly, when Keitaro does say something about himself, it is about a project that he wants to do and not much else.

To some people, he looks more like an over-sized common laborer than a genius with very sharp mind and an advanced engineering degree. It could be because he loves working with his hands and has a muscular build.

Finding out from her Oji-san that he passed the entrance exam to Tokyo University with a perfect score, she knows from experience that he did not even have to study for it. Although she was there with Tsuruko when the family celebrated him doing so.

It still amazes Haruka to this day that he had chosen Mechanical Engineering as his major because that is one of the most difficult courses of study, except for some of the higher math programs that the University has to offer.

Though their age difference is only just a few years, she actually looks at Keitaro as being her son since they spent a lot of time together when he was younger. Her pride in him is very strong and she loves him as such. _Although not in a romantic way._

Having always taken delight in everything that he does, she always had to get the news from either her Oji-san or her Oba-san. When he plunged into work or his studies, Keitaro could be extremely single-minded at the expense of everything thing else.

Now that he is back with her, she is going to wring every ounce of what he has done over the last two years after getting his degree before she throttles him for ignoring her and kicks his ass.

With his penchant to overwork and to overachieve, Haruka believes that that takes a back seat to his undertakings and achievements. This she knows of personally because they are so many because of his many of his plaques, trophies and commendations that lie around her room as a reminder. There are also monuments to his handiwork with his fingerprints on them all over the islands of Japan.

Moreover, that is more than any philanthropist can boast of doing knowing that her Kei-kun has done more in the last nine years of his life than most people older than him have done or can ever hope to accomplish in their lifetime.

With this in mind, Haruka feels that she has every right to brag about him.

Nevertheless, Keitaro tries to put aside the fact that Haruka has just boasted about him in front of his new tenants. For the rest of the time he just sits here quietly feeling a little awkward. In one way, he likes the fact that his cousin cares about him, but on the other hand, he has the girls staring at him for various reasons.

Although being the center of attention all of the time, he really does not enjoy it.

Having nothing more to say, Keitaro looks to Naru who introduces herself.

Remembering what her girlfriend said about pre-judging people, she apologizes for her earlier characterization of him.

Nodding, Keitaro acknowledges that he has forgiven her and sees that she is struggling with her eyesight.

"See me in the kitchen afterwards, Naru-chan," he says evenly, "I may have a possible solution to your situation."

Not truly understanding his meaning, she will go anyway since he himself is not fully forthcoming about what and how. Her studies can wait a few extra minutes until she finds out.

Next is Motoko, who blushes beet red and becomes very shy when she looks into Keitaro's rich brown eyes.

Turning her head away to the side, she then mumbles, "It is nice to see you again, my Keitaro-sama."

The honorific she uses is also a huge surprise.

The man-in-question and his older cousin both understand the reason however as Haruka smiles.

Noticing how handsome he is now, she becomes ecstatic when he promises to practice with her in the morning whenever possible.

"Usually, I am up that early anyway," says Keitaro knowing how she and her Onee-san enjoyed doing their Katas at dawn.

The teen Samurai smiles and nods as her face returns to its normal color.

To Motoko though, this is not just an ordinary man, this is her Keitaro-sama. The others will come to learn more about her feelings for him as he continues to live here.

Next, Kaolla jumps into his lap and wraps her arms around his neck, after a moment she rubs her cheek against his.

Emulating the foreign girl's mannerisms, Keitaro smiles at her directness. This was very refreshing he thinks smiling at her.

"Can I call you Onii-chan, and would you like to play with me sometime?" asked Kaolla liking the fact that he is a mechanical engineer. Possibly, he could even help her on a new Mecha-Tama sometime.

"Before you answer that, Kei-kun," says Haruka almost chuckling with four of the others, "That little girl in your arms is a genius like you. Although her specialties are mainly in constructing drones and 'mecha', she is also an explosives expert and so enjoys blowing things up. That said however, I'd be very careful with her if I was you."

That laughter clues him in so he realizes that he has to be wary, but he will judge her situation as it warrants.

"Yes on the first part, Kaolla-chan," says Keitaro matter-of-fact using an honorific on this young girl. He makes a mental note to build her a lab out in the very back of the property, "and we need to talk about having destructive devices around here. Tell you what, I will build you a place of your own in the back of the property so you can build or blow up things to your heart's content. Does that sound good to you?"

"Okies, Onii-chan," says the girl with a brilliant smile. She happily hops off his lap and back on to the couch next to Motoko.

_Very soon, Keitaro will find that this young lady is very handy with helping him in modernizing all of the electrical and mechanical contrivances around here. In the meantime, he hope that she does not destroy the place first…_

Smiling when Shinobu introduces herself, this petite miss had Keitaro's total respect right away after reading her file. Remembering from what he had read, the girl cooks, cleans and does the laundry in lieu of paying rent.

Understanding her circumstances here, he is going to make sure that she gets a good salary for everything that she does to keep the Hinata up and running. Moreover, he is going to provide the proper equipment so that she can do her job in a more efficient manner.

Shyly, she says that her grades have improved since moving here with the help of her Senpais.

"I am also willing to help anyone with their studies if you want as well," he says as his smile widens.

Turning away slightly, Shinobu turns bright red, because she has just developed a little crush on him.

The girl become euphoric when Keitaro offers to help her finish the dinner prep by telling her that he also likes to cook.

Almost swooning at his words, she loves it that a man is taking an interest in her.

The others giggle when they see her blush almost purple.

Moving on…

Struggling hard not to glom on him as she re-introduces herself, the Fox makes sure that he notices all of her charms and attributes.

_Ahem!_

This gets Haruka's attention rather quickly.

There is no romantic jealousy involved in the cousin's aheming her. The throat clearing lets Kitsune know that there are youngsters present and that she will have to wait until they are alone elsewhere.

Breathing deeply and letting it out slowly, Keitaro is trying to prevent a major erection problem right at this moment. Even as busy as he will be soon, Keitaro sure as hell would not throw her out of bed, though he might just scare the hell out of Kitsune when she finds out what he is packing.

Becoming very hungry, Keitaro has only had a light snack since the huge breakfast that Haruka had provided for him that morning, so he makes one last announcement, "From now on there will be mixed bathing in the onsen. I have waited a long time to be able to use it again. There will be no discussion on this, but I will ask you if you want me to put back up the old bamboo curtain that used to separate the men and women's sides. Personally, I do not care. On the other hand, do you want towels and/or bathing suits? You decide."

As Naru is just about to object, she gets dirty looks from all of the others including Haruka.

Backing down, Naru in the end goes along with the rest smiling sheepishly at Keitaro when they even vote the bamboo curtain down.

What surprises everyone is the fact that Shinobu goes along with this too.

The kitchen, fifteen minutes later…

The first thing that Keitaro sees when he steps into the kitchen is that the same appliances are still being used when his Tou-san lived here as a boy. They were inadequate back then and are just plain pitiful now.

'What was Hina Baa-chan thinking,' he thinks pulling out his notebook and scribbling in it. Everything has to go and soon by the looks of it. So while chopping vegetables he begins to formulate different plans in his head to help his new young friend.

'The old banquet hall would be a perfect place for a new kitchen and dining area,' he adds to himself while making a mental note of it.

Having to call in quite a few favors, Keitaro knows he need to do this if he wants to accomplish his goals here.

There is no time like the present to let Shinobu in on his plans.

"Shinobu-chan," he says in soft voice, "I was going to wait until getting settled in and do a thorough inspection of this place. However, I will share some of my plans with you right now. Since the kitchen is your domain, you should know that I plan to modernize the old banquet hall and turn this particular on into a large pantry. First, we are going to get you a new low stool or short bench to stand on when you are working. No more of this unsafe teetering. Two, I am going to put in all new appliances and only the top brands. A new stove, fryer, a walk-in fridge, freezer, all new counters, a restaurant style dishwasher because when we get more tenants we will need it. In addition, there will be new microwaves, all new pots and pans plus utensils. I can't see how you work in here every day with such outdated equipment."

Pulling out one of his cards, he writes a number on the back and hands it to a stunned Shinobu who has tears welling up in her eyes at his good news.

Before he can give her his next piece of news, she steps down from her stool to run over and hug him.

Hugging her back, he says, "The number on the back of that card is to a grocery delivery service run by a friend of mine. He owes me a huge favor for fixing his plate freezers and refrigeration units no too long ago. Mention my name, order any you need or want and he will deliver it. Also, put it on my tab."

Enjoying how this young girl reacts to this, he cracks a warm genuine smile.

Just then, Keitaro's Karma almost goes south.

Walking in, Naru asks, "What in the hell's going on here?" Balling her fists, she heads toward Keitaro.

Shinobu quickly releases him as she turns around and faces the charging Naru blocking her way.

"Naru-Senpai stop!" hollers the petite chef. Sticking her right arm out, the palm of her hand faces Naru. With a determined look on her face, she adds, "Senpai just shared with me his plans for a new kitchen. He also told me about a grocery delivery service. Is that not it great? No more lugging groceries up those front steps anymore."

The petite girl hopes that this stops her.

Keitaro's respect for this tough little lady increases quite a few notches as he smiles at her.

"Gomen Keitaro-san. Gomen Shinobu-chan," says the volatile brunette stopping after hearing her housemate.

Taken aback slightly, Shinobu looks on to see what happens next.

Bowing to the couple by the stove, Naru starts to cry, "It's my damned temper again. Kami help me see the whole picture before I hurt someone again."

Being very emotional, these sudden outbursts bother her when she blows up like this. Known for a fierce temper as well as a Ki loaded right hand, Naru could send an ordinary mortal into the stratosphere.

Magnanimously Keitaro pulls the vulnerable young woman into his embrace as she cut loose crying and hands her a tissue from its box there on the counter.

'Well,' thinks a surprised Shinobu, 'I never thought I'd live to see this day.' Then stepping back up onto her stool, she goes to check on the progress of the evening meal.

"Naru-chan, have a seat at the counter while I get the rice cooker going," says Keitaro after releasing her.

Across the room, he gets the machine going then goes back over to where Naru is sitting.

Never one to rush to judgment, Keitaro had already assessed her difficulty, so he says to the seated teen, "Naru-chan, when I first met you earlier, I could see you struggling to see me when we made introductions. Before you say anything, please just sit there and hear me out. It must be frustrating to wear those damned thick-lensed glasses. You probably get teased by your classmates and some of those insults must be really terrible."

Listening intently, Naru nods her head as he hands her another tissue.

"Hey, I'd be pissed too if I were you," he continues looking at her squarely in the eye, "What I'm going to do for you because I see a beautiful young woman who just longs to see something without those fucking glasses is this. First, I am going to make an appointment for you to get your eyes fixed, whether it be with Lasik® surgery or corneal lens transplants. The head Eye Surgeon at Tokyo General promised to help me after I helped his son improve his grades. My friend made the Dean's list by the end of that particular semester which made his old man happy. That is where the favor comes in. Well, enough of that for now. To make a long story short, I'm going to call in that favor and get your eyes fixed Naru-chan."

By now, Naru is crying very hard because of his kindness towards her.

"And, before you fall all apart on me," he continues in a quiet voice, "I'll make the appointments, call your parents and even ask the Academy to dismiss you from class for as long as it takes for your eyes to heal up. Maybe even get Kitsune to help you too if it's needed."

Overwhelmed with joy at his words, she launches herself at him sobbing loudly, both in joy and in sorrow at having been such a bitch twice in the last hour.

Hugging her again, he likes how she feels in his arms as she soaks the front of his shirt through. From reading her file, Keitaro knows that this is closest he will become to her as she is not interested in men. However, this is good as far as it concerns him.

"Wow, Naru-Senpai. That's great," exclaims Shinobu happily while turning to look at her crying housemate.

Seeing the tenants as part of his extended family, he will do his utmost to take properly take care of them.

Dinnertime, the first evening…

"Oh Kami, this is so good," says Keitaro eating his first meal with his residents.

Looking next to him, he sees the petite chef blush.

Not surprising anyone, Haruka joins in for dinner as well.

Patting his full belly afterwards, Keitaro absolutely loves Shinobu's cooking.

Then…

Over the next couple of days, there is a whirlwind of activity around the Hinata.

A radio communications table with charging station is set-up in the common room with W/T's for each one of the residents. The girls all stand around the station with Keitaro showing them how to change the battery pack and place the dead one in its charger.

Having his already clasped in its holder on his tool belt, he also puts his cell number and a list with other emergency numbers on it. After this, all of them see that Keitaro is off again to do something else.

In addition, Haruka gets a radio too, as she loves the fact that he has included her in the Hinata communications network.

Repairing the ubiquitous hole in Naru's floor, and after he finishes the job, you cannot tell that there was even one there.

Three weeks later…

In the time that the residents have come to know Keitaro, they all learn one special thing: when he makes a promise, he keeps his word.

Here are just two examples:

One…

Naru has to have corneal lens replacement surgery. On her initial visit, the doctor tells her she is on the verge of going blind because of cataracts.

Keitaro then tells her parents about this who okay everything, and then makes all of the appointments after getting the permission from the Academy for Naru's medical dismissal after the surgery.

Well ahead in her studies anyway, Naru is the Academy's second ranked student after Kaolla. Since this is the case, she will not be behind too much when she returns to the classroom.

Taking her to the hospital in his truck, he good-naturedly waits while she is in outpatient surgery and then brings her home. Keitaro then gets Kitsune to help her get around because she will not be able to see very well for a few days.

Not long after the surgery, and with everything seeming to work better, Naru gives Keitaro a big hug in gratitude.

A short time later, the doctor who had performed the surgery considers the transplants a success when he checked his handiwork out on a subsequent visit.

With this promise kept, Keitaro thanks the doctor for taking care of her.

After that, she tells everyone that it 'weirded' her out being able to ask questions on what was happening to her during the surgery. She gasped when the doctor said that he was slipping the new lens into place and securing it. When the anesthetic wore off, she was happy that there was no pain, just a little itching.

In awe, she can both see and read without ever needing those accursed 'coke-bottle' glasses again.

Never has anyone in the Hinata ever seen the brunette smile so much. This event goes a long way to quelling her volatile temper.

The brunette teenager now sees Keitaro as a man of his word and a good friend.

Two…

Everybody is amazed when Keitaro replaces the old fuse box with a modern high capacity breaker box.

The residents immediately notice the difference.

The brightness of the property lights is such that the whole hilltop seems to glow now at night.

Naru tells Keitaro that it is nice that she can finally watch TV in her room and that she has plenty of light to do her studying.

Kaolla helped him install the main fire panel, which went in to tie together all of the new smoke detectors in the Hinata.

Keitaro is very impressed that the foreign blonde blur expertly couples the alarms into the phone system, so it can alert the local Fire Brigade if there is ever a problem.

In with this, the girls like the fact that they do not have to change those damned old-fashioned fuses anymore and worry about getting an electrical shock or electrocuted.

Posting notices in the hallways, Keitaro does this to let the girls know where the new fire extinguishers are. There is one CO2 and one chemical extinguisher on each floor along with one each in the kitchen. He even teaches all of the residents about their proper usage.

Kaolla says it was fun to help her 'Onii-chan' and wants to help him out a lot more on future projects.

Also…

As promised, Keitaro puts some new small appliances in the old kitchen until he can get going on the banquet hall project. He went to a major appliance store in Tokyo and plunked down many Yen to get Shinobu only the best appliances.

Knowing that Shinobu will be very happy when she sees a new rice cooker and two new microwaves, he knows that he will receive a big hug from her. There is also a large capacity coffee urn with a nice coffee bean grinder next to it. An expensive knife set that cost more money than most people make in a month. Brand new chopsticks for everyone including a dozen extra pair in case of new residents, and a western-style eating utensil set that Shinobu pointed out to him in an online catalog.

Along with the grocery delivery service, Keitaro is spoiling the young girl rotten. _He thinks that nothing is too good for her._

When the work refurbishing the old banqueting hall begins, the heavier equipment that he had ordered Keitaro expects it to arrive within the week.

Calling a few of friends of his in the homebuilding industry, he tells them that he wants their assistance in bringing in some heavy new appliances inside his home.

Smiling when his old crony replies that he will bring a crew to get the job done, Keitaro knows that it will happen quickly and efficiently.

When the bluenette comes home and goes to prepare dinner, Shinobu cries tears of happiness seeing new things everywhere in her kitchen.

Leaving her a note on her board about the heavier kitchen equipment, Keitaro said that he had ordered everything and it will be coming very soon. The note also tells Shinobu that the present kitchen will be her new storage pantry when the new one is complete.

There is also a note on the counter letting her know that there are new washers and dryers coming to replace all of the old ones.

When Shinobu sees Keitaro later that day, she runs up and hugs her Senpai again.

Shortly afterwards, near the end of May…

With summer coming soon, Keitaro gets to work on the area around the lake, falls and spring.

Clearing the edge all around the lake of vegetation, trees, cattails and brush, he utilizes the mowing tractor first to clear out the light stuff. The large wide cutting-deck cuts a big swath through all the overgrowth helping him get through it all very quickly. With this complete, he brings in his lawn vacuum, a woodchipper and the stake-sided trailer to haul off the big stuff for him to split later. He has the chainsaws doing their thing along with a pneumatic log-splitter that he had purchased.

_Yup, another tool for Keitaro to keep him busy as the days get longer and the work progresses in clearing the lake for the girls to use. Shit, he is just like a normal man in wanting to see bikini clad women back here sunning themselves on a clear day. Nevertheless, like always, he puts these thoughts on the back burner compartmentalizing them in his mind until their proper time._

Getting back to the log splitter, he smiles and watches this machine do work that use to take him many extra hours to accomplish. Now, he has almost ten cords of wood from dead trees around the hilltop along with another half dozen cords from thinned out live trees seasoning in other piles.

Most of the brush and underbrush the woodchipper mulches. It will be useful for the gardens around the Hinata.

Using some fresh lumber that he had just dried in his kiln and some heavy-duty bolts, Keitaro builds and stains a picnic table. As with everything else he makes, it is very well constructed.

Then turning his attention to making sure that those who use the lake to swim or cool off in can access the water without stepping into mud or dirt. Keitaro loads up some dry sand from over by the hill's entrance road and dumps it onto the shoreline with his front-end loader before smoothing it over with scoop at an odd angle.

Pleased that this task is complete, he turns his attention to his next chore.

In the open area inside, Keitaro places a few comprehensive charts and a list of things on a new bulletin board by the wall near the radio charging station.

All of the girls, along with Haruka, can keep up with the progress as he goes along.

Updating his list every morning, he places a line through the jobs he has completed and adds new ones to it when needed.

Along with this, Keitaro encourages the girls help him out with the chores and gives them credit for what they do. Either by taking something off their rent or by giving them outright cash payments.

Placing spots on the charts and lists for their initials, he does this to keep track of who is helping him.

It is voluntary of course, and he finds that there are quite a few takers.

This is very popular with the girls, who like seeing a bit of extra cash for the weekends.

Saturday afternoon, during a particularly gorgeous day…

Behind the scenes, Naru, Motoko and Shinobu are helping outside in the gardens of the Hinata.

For some reason, the girls all said yes when Keitaro had asked for help.

Planting some fresh perennials, Naru works with what Keitaro had dropped off in front of the Hinata after picking them up in town.

Behind her, Motoko spreads some of the mulch that Keitaro made out back from a pile that is there for their use.

A little ahead of the older teens, Shinobu pulls weeds with her fingers and a little garden spade.

At this very moment, Kaolla is building a Mecha-Tama floor polisher for her 'Onii-chan'. Keitaro, true to his word, built the Hinata's 'mad scientist' a workshop for all of her inventions.

Since Kaolla wants to please him, she has cut back on blowing things up and now makes only practical things to help him.

Even though she works down at the Tea Shoppe, Kitsune sometimes acts as Keitaro's 'go-fer', because she wants to be near him.

Thoroughly enjoying the eye candy, Keitaro knows that she is purposely showing him a lot of flesh. He enjoys watching her large titties bounce around when she is in a string bikini or just plain braless.

The Fox knows that he has more than a passing interest in her.

"Shinobu-chan, how's the new kitchen coming along?" asks Naru placing another plastic tub in the growing stack as the fresh flowers go into the garden.

"Great Naru-Senpai," answers the petite chef pulling out some dandelions, "Senpai tells me that the rest of the equipment will be put in on Monday while we're at school."

"Isn't it amazing how my Keitaro-sama has kept all of his promises since he arrived here six and a half weeks ago?" asks Motoko. She always seems to gush when someone mentions his name or talks about him.

"He's sure changed my mind a little bit about men, or at least him," says Naru looking down at the dirt in front of her, "Although I still have little use for them. I will tell the two of you this, I have come to respect Kei-kun and know now that he is trustworthy. If either of you develop any interest in him, I will not call him a pervert or try to bash him. I think he'd make some girl a great catch."

She misses seeing her two housemates turn bright red.

"That is good to hear, Naru-Senpai," replies Motoko, "I wouldn't want to have to punish you if you ever assaulted my Keitaro-sama."

The other two know of her feelings for Keitaro.

Leaning against the garden rake taking a breather, Motoko has caught up to where the other two are.

"Looks like our little Samurai's in love," says Naru in a sooky voice teasing Motoko.

Shinobu giggles as she pulls up a long root and tosses it into a refuse pile.

Turning an even brighter red, Motoko knows that Naru has successfully teased her. _Yes, she is very much in love with her Keitaro-sama._

For the rest of the afternoon and until Shinobu has to go prepare dinner, the trio shares small talk, gossip and news just like any other normal teenagers.

The next evening…

The nights are now comfortably warm.

Keitaro is in his camp after enjoying another great meal prepared by Shinobu and then he has a soak with the girls. He is beginning to enjoy living at the Hinata, if for nothing else, just to see the petite chef blush when he praises her.

Naru also makes him smile as she now lets her real beauty show, but as with Haruka, he knows that she is just not into men.

'To each, their own,' he thinks while closing out that line of thought.

Now to end his long day, he is relaxing in a large hammock that was set-up just to the right of his tent. The posts are the remains of two birch trees that he lopped off so they are only about two meters tall. A swath of tar over the bare wood on top, a couple 'eye' hooks screwed into them and voila, an instant place for resting his weary bones.

Sunday is the only day of the week that he allows himself to work only half-a-day, or even to take it off. He hates not being busy or having something to do, but the girls want him to go out for lunch with them so they can spend the day together with him.

Keitaro has to admit that he had a lot of fun when Kitsune hopped on his back and hollered, "giddy-up." It almost got him hard feeling her large boobs pressing into his back.

In the hammock now, he watches the stars come out. With his arm underneath his pillowed head, he enjoys the panoramic view from over his head.

Smiling here in the dimly lit wooded area, he does a mental inventory of all that he has accomplished since inheriting the Hinata from his Obaa-san. He still has a long way to go to reach his goal in his estimation, but with the girls help he knows he will attain it.

His Tou-san called him the other day to let him know that he is very proud of him and wants to visit soon.

His Kaa-san sent him some e-mails relaying the same thing with some little notes she wrote about Kanako saying hello.

He cannot wait to see his Imouto-chan Kanako again. He then has some bad thoughts about what his parents would think about their incestuous relationship.

'Shit,' he thinks, 'I'm only human.' However, he understands that she was the aggressor even though he did nothing to stop it from happening. With that, Keitaro knows that he would never turn her away either.

Putting that aside until another time, Kitsune and Motoko are really coming on to him now as his resolve towards them is starting to crumble.

When he sees Kitsune's hot body with those big tits and that great ass of hers, he just wants to take and fuck the living daylights out of her.

Keitaro also notices how much Motoko has grown into a magnificent example of Japanese womanhood and how large her breasts are. In a Yukata, she looks like the perfect 'Yamato Nadeshiko' with her long black hair and porcelain skin. Seeing her in a towel or a traditionally dressed always catches his attention.

"I miss Mutsumi-chan as well," he whispers feeling a slight bit of melancholy.

Cringing for a moment, he remembers that he will formally be moving into the Hinata this fall.

'Shit, what have I done now,' he thinks before laughing.

Going back to his stargazing, Keitaro does so to clear his mind and is grateful that he does not have a hard on right now.

Taking a breath, he exhales and then falls asleep.

Monday morning…

Waiting by the old bridge outside, Keitaro is waiting for some friends to help him rebuild the old banquet hall before installing the new larger kitchen appliances for Shinobu.

The old road in the back of the property Keitaro had widened before the Prefecture came in and paved it over. Another friend in the parking lot paving business came in and extended it from where the cement had ended.

This is so larger vehicles can drive up the back way now for Shinobu's future deliveries. (No more lugging groceries up the front steps.)

At first, Keitaro laid out a ten spot parking lot as a forerunner to a new garage he wishes have built before winter.

Finally, Keitaro utilizes Kaolla's explosives expertise, as he had asked her to blast out some rocks without taking off the rest of the hilltop.

This is for a future Dojo and workout center he plans to install just between the lot and the lake.

Kaolla clapped and cheered giddily after being able to help her 'Onii-chan' once again.

This is before the Princess gave him a 'bone-crushing' hug similar to how Shinobu-chan does it.

Work on Shinobu's kitchen…

"Dammit Keiji watch where you're going with that, you baka," says someone working on the crew.

"This fucking thing's heavy," Keiji complains grateful that they do not have to bring it up the front stairway.

"You want to help Keitaro with the walk-in fridge parts?" says Junpei a former Sumo wrestler. "If you don't, then shut the fuck up."

"Hey Keitaro," says Maki the crew chief, "I'm bringing in the one of the new granite countertops, where do you want it? Do you want us to remove the entire counter here or just some of the old one and leave part of it?"

"Okay then," says Keitaro pointing as he walk through the old banquet hall kitchen, "I want the new stove there, the fridge parts there, the large freezer there, here will go one of the countertops along with the new cabinets. The deep fryer goes over by where the new stove is."

Firing this all off in rapid succession, he then takes a deep breath and goes on again to say, "The other countertop goes there on the floor cabinets, the wall cabinets go up there and over there. (Keitaro points at the bare walls) We need the dishwasher parts over where the old sink that we just tore out. The pipes, hoses, the Burnz-o-matic™ torch and the solv-a-set to all go together by the new little wash sink. The new tiles begin where we took off the old ones, and Keiji, just shut the fuck up!"

Saying this 'in no uncertain terms', he hates listening to people whine and so he 'nips it in the bud' by telling the man to piss off. He will be fit-to-be-tied if he disappoints Shinobu-chan in any way and not get her kitchen done today before she comes home.

The fridge, freezer and sink all go in very quickly.

The counters and cabinets they all tackle next.

Keiji redeems himself by doing an expert job in installing everything expertly along with their mouldings. The man gets praise from the others and a slap on the back from Keitaro.

Wiring in the heavy appliances, Keitaro leaves nothing to chance and hooks up all of the natural gas lines himself, with Maki backing him up. Both men are master electricians and have hooked up gas mains together on many occasions.

When this is complete, they then test dishwasher to make sure the soap dispenser synchronizes itself to the wash cycle. They then both install the angled drying racks by bolting them into the wall and when done, this particular task is complete.

Maki lights the stove and deep fryers pilot lights after Keitaro re-opens the main gas valve. They then test the two appliances.

Next, after erecting the walls of the walk-in fridge, Keitaro climbs up on a ladder and bolts on the roof. Checking the cooling unit, he plugs it in and turns it on. The fridge's blower starts to whirr letting them know that it is now on the job.

Smiling because his friend from the grocery delivery service sent a truck out here with Shinobu's first order.

Crossing the bridge and coming in the backdoor, the driver walks pushes a two-wheeler and slides it right into the now working cooler. (Karma is on his side since the food does not have to sit out in the warm air, and possibly spoil.)

Asking him if he has anything left unsold in the truck, the delivery driver says that he has some frozen squid left over.

Enjoying squid, Keitaro tells him to put it in the freezer and then signs for the order.

He returns to help with the final additions.

The newer appliances, as well as an all new Kitchen dining set with many new chairs they bring in after the carpeting goes in.

After placing the last tile on the wall, they strip, sand and wax the old traditional wooden floor on the new kitchen floor. They then open the doors and windows to allow for faster drying and air the place out from the fumes.

When they finish everything and clean up after themselves, everyone steps outside to grab a beer to celebrate a job well done.

"Kanpai, and thanks for everything. A man couldn't ask for better friends," says Keitaro raising his beer can.

The crew all drinks up before packing their tools, re-checking their handiwork and departing for home.

They all hope to see Keitaro on one of their worksites again in the near future.

He hopes to use them again on another project or two very soon.

Later that day…

Shinobu and the other residents walk down the main hallway after a note on the comm table directs them all back to the old banqueting hall.

Upon arriving at their destination, they slide open the door and gawk at the new indoor facility in their school uniforms.

Having her hands clasped together under her chin with tears in her eyes, Shinobu looks over the new eating and cooking space as well as all of the new appliances. Her Senpai has come through in more ways than she could have ever dreamed of in a thousand years.

She does not know what to touch first.

"Like it?" comes a voice from the other doorway.

Keitaro has to brace himself as the tiny young woman throws herself at him with such force he almost lands on his ass.

At the same time, Haruka and Kitsune come walking in to marvel at the new kitchen.

"Oh Senpai, thank you," says Shinobu squeezing him as tight as she can.

"Kei-kun, this is outstanding," says Haruka almost gushing at what her cousin has done in redesigning the old family dining area, "Obaa-san will be very pleased."

"Nothing's too good for Shinobu-chan," says Keitaro walking through the new kitchen while showing everyone all of the new stuff.

When Motoko opens the large double-door fridge, she gasps at how full the appliance is.

Kitsune opens the big freezer and marvels at what is inside it.

"This'll keep Kaolla-chan happy for a couple of days at the very least," says Naru blown away just like everyone else.

The Princess giggles as she reaches for a banana.

"Shinobu-chan, from now on and for as long as you want it," declares Keitaro, "This kitchen is all yours. You're the boss in here."

Then, she does something that actually surprises him. Shinobu climbs up on her new step stool and kisses his cheek.

The meal the petite chef prepares that evening Keitaro and the others considerate it to be a masterpiece. It is some of the best cooking that Shinobu has ever done.

Middle of June, close to the summer break…

Smiling as he looks at the polished floor of the just completed Dojo, Keitaro knows that Motoko will appreciate having an indoor place to practice swordsmanship and other martial arts together even in the worst weather.

However, this is only half of it though, as the other side is wholly devoted to working out in a modern manner. Lined up along the walls, free weights and different types of exercise machines sit in ordered rows around the floor. Along with those, a number of brand new flat screen TV's, men and women's locker rooms, a modern Jacuzzi® and he even installed a glass cooler for bottled water.

A fully equipped office with desks, chairs and computers compliment the new Dojo. _The glass door says, 'Aoyama Motoko, Proprietor'._

The same crew that built this place is also the one that re-did the kitchen, as they all completed the work in less than a week. It helped that Keitaro kept on working even after his friends went home.

It is effort such as this that pushed the others in the crew to help him build a first-class, top-of-the-line facility that the residents can come out to re-energize themselves in the dead of winter or on the hottest days of summer.

During the planning stages, he had hot onsen spring water diverted from the old Annex B to heat the place. It also provides water for the indoor spas in the locker rooms.

To keep the place cool in summer, Keitaro installed a new central air system out behind the place, as wall mounted ones would be too inefficient.

As a special touch, he etched the residents' names onto small plates and attached them to the lockers in the female locker room. Keitaro made these one evening in his machine shop.

Standing behind a stationary bike, he has a quick fantasy about seeing Kitsune's gorgeous ass in the saddle. (Hey, he is only human.)

When he tells Haruka that the Dojo is finished, she wants to spar with Keitaro in the Urashima style so she can finally kick his ass for ignoring her for two years.

They both laugh because they know that when she is pissed, this could very well happen. Haruka is one of only three people known who can go toe-to-toe with him. His Tou-san and Kanako are the other two.

He absolutely refuses to fight with Hina Baa-chan out of respect. _She laughed and said that she would probably kick his ass anyway._

Truly amazed, Motoko and the others love the new Dojo as much as they did the dining facilities. This is also true with just about everything else that he has done around here.

The teen Samurai has tears in her eyes when Keitaro shows her a sword rack that is for her use only.

He is going to call a local Shinto priest in to have him bless the place for her.

The thing that pleases Motoko the most is when her Keitaro-sama says that the traditional side of the Dojo and the office are both hers.

Losing all control, she hugs her Keitaro-sama.

Since they are alone out here, she gives him a full on the mouth kiss. It turns quickly into the first of many French kisses with him.

Smiling, he loves the feel of her young body against his.

Feeling something rather large poking at her through his work belt and nail apron, she nearly wets herself when the kiss breaks.

Then they go back together hand-in-hand to the old manse and enjoy each other's company along the way.

A few days before the summer solstice and the break from school…

A beautiful tall woman gets out of a luxury sedan and looks over the new façade of the Hinata Tea Shoppe.

'Too long,' she thinks looking at the front door of the place. Wanting to see the person that she loves more than anyone else in the world, and hold her, she takes a deep breath before proceeding to the door.

Most of her worldly possessions she had stuffed into the front and back seats of her car.

She now has only her apartment, her business, her first name and that is not too bad because the person she has come to see has always told her that they could have theirs.

Coming out of the closet has been difficult for her, but it was also very liberating too.

She can be with her lover every day now. So gathering up her courage, she puts a smile on her face and walks in.

"Tsuruko-chan," says a familiar voice.

End of Chapter


	3. Strong shoulders to cry on

'The Hands of a Man'  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's notes: This is where the story begin to take a less than stellar turn towards a bit of melodrama, but only slightly.

Chapter 3: Strong shoulders to cry on

After an evening of passionate lovemaking, it does one good to sleep in the arms of the woman you love. It can be quite wonderful when having travelled far and going through some life changing traumas.

In the more traditional families of Japan, having them disown and strip you of your name used to lead people committing seppuku.

Tsuruko though does not care one wit about what her former clan has done to her, because none is close to her in blood and she knows that they had lost their honor a long time ago.

Flashback as to what happened in Kyoto…

Shocking the elders, although her parents sit silent, by laughing in their collective faces, Tsuruko pulls the clan's ancient Katana from of its Saya and shatters it in half across the steps of the dais in front of them.

The blade was an ancient and powerful symbol of their clan's heritage and prestige, but it was also the symbol of an era gone by.

For the woman bearing it however, the weapon was an 'albatross' around her neck and she is glad to rid herself of the damnable thing.

Angered beyond credulity, Tsuruko throws the piece in her hand in front of a senior elder who she knows cannot contain his anger. Without any regrets, and wearing a big smile on her face when she stands up, Tsuruko then without bowing turns her back on them. Provoking him even more, she then declares in a clear loud voice, "I'd rather be the disowned heir of this decrepit dying clan and its pathetic perversion of the old ways than turn my back on the one I love. I'll never grace this place with my presence ever again unless it's to burn this shithole to the ground."

With this affirmation, Tsuruko leaves the Aoyama Dojo forever without once looking back.

Before totally departing the building she used to love, Tsuruko strips off her Gi and disdainfully throws it on the floor to her side. Then as a last bit of rejection of her former clan, position and heritage, she spits on the garment. Not topless though, she still has the hated traditional wrapping to bind her large breasts.

No longer will she dress like a relic, or a Samurai movie reject.

As soon as Tsuruko walks off the Aoyama clan grounds, she feels free.

However, to maintain some modesty, Tsuruko grabbed the only possession that was truly hers there before departing forever to begin her new life. A leather jacket that was a college graduation gift from her lover. Putting it on, she then strolls down the street whistling a tune and swaying her gorgeous Hakama covered ass. To outsiders Tsuruko did look strangely clad though, as they viewed this tall and now very happy woman when she left the ancient Dojo grounds without closing the gate behind her. _The exposed view of her luscious body is for her lover only._

With this accomplished, she does not have too far to walk in reaching her real place of residence…

Stepping into her opulent apartment in the best part of Kyoto, Tsuruko tosses the remnants of her past down the garbage chute after taking them off and put on a dressing gown. Silk with lace bras and bikini panties feel so much better than the old shit that she had worn. Now she will only wear clothing that is sexy, hot and gets her lover's eye.

Oh, that reminds her, she is going to have to call her lover and tell them that she is coming for a long stay. She will not say it will be permanent yet until the time is right. When the time is right, she will sit with her lover and Keitaro to discuss the situation because of certain obligations of her old clan.

After calling, she packs her car before the sun sets and will head out early in the morning.

Since she owns her apartment, and has more money than the Aoyama could ever dream of, Tsuruko decides to keep the place. It will be a great place to stay at when she and her lover come down to Kyoto on holiday.

Not fearing anyone in the Aoyama clan retaliating against her, she has mastered all of their high arts and a few others that none of them knows about. In her studies, she found a few of their most ancient scrolls hidden away that everyone there thought was lost. Those missing works were from an era when the Aoyama still knew what honor meant.

Having mastered those ancient techniques with the blade, she then destroyed the scrolls to keep them out of corrupt hands.

Moreover, she and her lover can easily kick any Aoyama ass if it ever came to a real confrontation.

'Fucking assholes,' thinks Tsuruko angrily stripping and drawing a bath.

Taking a luxuriant soak in the large tub, she then dries her gorgeous body and masturbates in bed afterwards fantasizing about being with her lover very soon.

Tsuruko needs a night of passionate sex with her lover before telling them about what happened to her and the reasons why. She wants it to be her saying something before they hear about it from someone else, as this situation may get very dicey.

End of Flashback…

"Haru-chan, do you always have to be so rough?" purrs Tsuruko after catching her breath.

The next morning…

Making breakfast in her new kitchen, Shinobu is grateful that school will be finished for the summer break in a couple of days. She remembers doing well on her semester end finals after studying very hard with her Sempais. Keitaro also helped her with some of the more difficult subjects after he was through with his work.

There is one thing that the petite miss has come to appreciate. After a long and brutal session of studying with her Sempais, she and others head out back for a late night swim in the new beach area at the lake. The place is well lit, mostly bug-free and the girls are in awe of how it looks now.

When the two are alone, Kitsune gets a little frisky with Keitaro in the water. It is a good thing that it is nighttime out, or Keitaro would have shown the Fox something that would startled her immensely.

Saying that this area is for their use, he suggests if they come back here for a swim to bring someone with them. _He also liked seeing the girls in their bathing suits._

Now though, she is almost through with her prep.

Like clockwork, her Sempai comes through the kitchen door to assist her in finishing the morning meal.

The coffee urn is perking, the teakettle is on and service platters are out.

At that moment, he gets a call on his cell.

It is Haruka and if it is not on the radio network, something must be up, so he heads out.

Telling Shinobu to not to save anything for him, he will eat down at the Tea Shoppe.

The girl smiles after him as he departs.

In Haruka's Tea Shoppe…

"Ohaiyo, Haru-chan," says Keitaro coming into the back of the Tea Shoppe, "what's up?"

Noticing that someone else is here by the expensive car outside with the Kyoto plates on it, he quickly surmises whom it can be sitting with her.

"I see," he adds.

This can only mean one thing.

"Konnichiwa, Tsuruko Nee," he says seeing the Motoko's Onee-san.

Sitting in a booth holding hands with Haruka, it looks like the two of them have been here for a while because their mugs are just about empty and they have eaten their breakfast.

"Kei-kun, please sit," says Haruka with a serious expression on her face, "We need to talk."

When Keitaro hears her say this, he knows something is up, so he sits down in a chair across from them.

Haruka's tone being what it is, and along with the tears that are falling from Tsuruko's eyes, something serious must have happened with her to see her in this state. Keitaro knows that the tall Kyoto native is one of the strongest and toughest women that he has ever met.

Her resolve is finally falling apart.

After sitting down, Keitaro says, "Tell me what is troubling you, Tsuruko Nee?"

Knowing him as she does, Tsuruko just starts in by telling him that she had declined another Omiai that her parents did not sanction. Others, including her hated Oji-san wanted her to marry a man who was both rich and very handsome. Incidentally, this was the sixteenth time she has done this in the past eleven years.

The clan was angry at her saying that this marriage could have helped bring the Aoyama back into solvency.

Keitaro takes note of this last statement by Tsuruko. He knows that she has a certain proclivity and her destiny lies with the woman she sits next to at the table.

At a crossroads in her life, this is when she acted.

Tsuruko says, "This is when I finally decided to 'come out of the closet' so to speak and let them know the reason why I have turned down so many marriage proposals. I believe you know that I am gay and have never wanted a man. Also, I had refused their outrageous demand to name my female partner."

"I would kick their asses as well," hisses Haruka in support of her girlfriend.

"Thanks, Haru-chan," responds Tsuruko looking at the woman she loves and gracing her with a smile.

Keitaro realizes too that no one there would dare challenge her to a duel. This would be stupid on her opponent's part because she is the best out of all of them with a Katana.

Lastly, she says, "They then have the temerity to strip me of the title as heir to the Aoyama Dojo, before shunning and take my name off the clan roll in front of my parents. Both of whom could do nothing."

By now, Keitaro is seething and both women notice the change in his demeanor.

He smirked when Tsuruko told them that she broke the clan's oldest Katana and defiled her Gi after throwing it on the floor.

"I'm glad that I have my Haru-chan, my company and that I've some made some wise investments over the past five years, or I'd have absolutely nothing," adds Tsuruko as Haruka hold her close.

Giving her words a few extra seconds to sink in, Keitaro then does some unloading of his own, "I've listened to your story about how you threw away your family heritage because you declared that you're a lesbian and how you come to be with your lover. Well, it is about damn time you came to your senses and made Haru-chan happy. Now, I am going to tell you something Tsuruko and you are going to listen close to every word I am about to say.

A pause for Keitaro to gather some facts together from memory.

"Your former clan was on the verge of bankruptcy a few years ago and the Urashima clan had to go down there to pull their collective asses out of the fire. Haru-chan, did you ever wonder why Hina Baa-chan's youngest sibling, Nagisa Ōoba-san and our cousin Reiji live there on the grounds of Aoyama estate? It is not because they are trying to learn anything from them, it is because they run and operate the fucking place. The Aoyama Dojo was bleeding yen badly Tsuruko, because the Council of Elders are a collective bunch of fucking bakas. YES, I said fucking bakas. None of them has any brain cells left. Moreover, I have known about you two being a 'yuri' couple since I was eleven. I was helping with the rededication of the Dojo in Kyoto when the paint crew asked me to apply some stain to one of the lion statues. I saw you two kissing outside a window by the old rose bushes, and that was not the first time I had seen anything from you two either. Do not look at me like that, Haru-chan. I'm glad that you two are finally together."

Keitaro words had in them a mixture of loathing, anger and regret.

"H-how'd you know about all of this Kei-kun?" asks Haruka.

Tsuruko is in too much shock to say anything, she knows that Keitaro can be blunt and very direct, but this….

"Haru-chan, some of it I figured out on my own. Some cousin Reiji told me, and then I saw the Urashima clan's portfolio since I am now the heir. All of the Aoyama properties and holdings in Kyoto and its environs the auditors prominently listed in its pages. Every bit of land, all of the buildings and the other properties too, it is all there. So that means we own the Aoyama 'lock, stock and barrel' as the American's would say," says Keitaro breathlessly with no satisfaction and a bit of disdain in his voice.

"So, we have them by the balls, huh," says Haruka with a very nasty smirk on her face, "If they give Tsuruko any more shit or try to force Motoko-chan to go back to Kyoto we'll make sure that they pay a heavy price for their arrogance."

One thing that people know about the Urashima is that you never get away with pissing them off, because they are excellent at exacting revenge.

"What?" Tsuruko asks coming back around and seeing light at the end of her tunnel. She had perked up when Keitaro mentioned the news about her former clan's dilemma, then laughs at the Karmic irony.

"Yes, every bit of it is true," says Keitaro smiling at his cousin who starts to cry in relief, "So when you were kicked out of the Aoyama clan, it was no big disgrace. No, the bigger disgrace is the fact that your former clan is still living in the Tokugawa Era, and still refuses to come into the twenty-first century. Tsuruko Nee, since you have no name now, I will ask Hina Baa-chan's permission to give you our name. You will be an Urashima and not some ronin without a family. Shit, even that's old-fashioned, but I would anything to make Haru-chan happy any time I can."

Tsuruko smiles at him as she and Haruka embrace each other again.

"What about Motoko-chan, Kei-kun?" asks Haruka.

"Shit!" Keitaro curses, feeling that this day, which began with so much promise, is now going straight into the shitter.

Hinata Hill, places in-between and then the Urashima Dojo…

For once, Keitaro does not do any work around the Hinata and it is quite eerie for it to be so still around the old place.

After finishing with finding out everything he needs from Haruka and Tsuruko in the Tea Shoppe, he asks Tsuruko to drive up to the back of the property. Giving her directions and an access card, he has her wait in the new Dojo until he can figure out a solution to this new dilemma.

Sitting on a bench in the modern side of the air-conditioned facility, she watches Keitaro pace 'back-and-forth' as he is now in a brooding and somber mood.

Wrestling in his mind with what to do about two, he is trying hard to come up with a positive solution. Mainly, because he has been falling for Motoko and this shit is going to change the young woman he loves in one way or another. The shock of all of the Aoyama clan missteps may be too much for someone to whom honor means all to take.

Maybe this is where he should start.

"Hey, Tsuruko Nee," says Keitaro as clarity to this situation reaches him, "If you need to get rid of any pent up anxiety, this facility is open for use." He then hands her a spare access card and says she will have a permanent one later.

Seeing how the former Samurai is going through quite a lot of turmoil in her mind too, he trying to get it so she can think about something else right now.

Keitaro wants all of this bullshit to end, and end very soon, as he is having difficulty in controlling his emotions at this moment.

Seeing how this state of affairs is affecting his beloved cousin, he will do what he can to make sure that she and Tsuruko can stay together 'come hell or high water'. Because he would do anything for the woman who is closer to him than anyone on earth is. This includes his Kaa-san, Obaa-san or Kanako.

Stepping outside…

Walking around the very back of the hill where he has just thinned out some undergrowth, Keitaro decides to take charge of resolving this matter before it spirals out of control and it gets violent.

First, he calls his Obaa-san, Reiji, Nagisa Ōoba-san and his Tou-san. _Neither his Tou-san nor Haruka wanted to be the heir, so he personally undertook the responsibility for the Urashima clan's future._

Though older than him, Reiji is a good and honest man but he does not have the stones to make the tough decisions to prevent the rest of this generation of Urashima from wasting all that Obaa-san and his Tou-san's generation have built up. (When he was eighteen, Keitaro threatened to beat the crap out of one cousin who said that he was not a true leader because he did not know how to use the clan's influence to get power. That cousin could do nothing because he knew that Keitaro could cripple him with very little effort.)

Hina Obaa-san has never interfered when he goes about keeping the clan in line. She knows that he is a man of few words and strong deeds. Although he works long hours and is away from home a lot, Keitaro has always kept up with clan business.

Ending his ruminations, he has a plan.

Coming back into the Dojo, he places a low table in the traditional side of the building. Then, he places four Tatami mats on the floor with it.

Placing two mats on either side of the table, Keitaro figures that the best way to resolve his dilemma with Haruka, Tsuruko and Motoko, who still has no clue, is to get everything out in the open.

He prays that Motoko's love for him and her Onee-chan will win out over her love of the Aoyama traditions.

'We'll see,' he thinks after finishing here.

Elsewhere…

Haruka has been fidgeting around the Tea Shoppe the whole day.

Kitsune is going nuts watching her friend's pacing around the pace during the slow times.

"Haruka, are you okay?" asks a concerned Kitsune, "You've been walking around here like the Yakuza is after you."

"If it was only the Yakuza, Kitsune," says Haruka derisively. She is still pacing with a pencil in her mouth, sucking on it as if it was a cigarette, "those useless cock-grabbers I can handle. They do not fuck with the Urashima because they know we would butcher them like a pen of hogs if they were to try anything. No, it is not that, but you will be hearing about it soon enough, I can promise you that."

Wishing now that she had not quit smoking, Haruka could use one of the 'cancer sticks' right now to calm her nerves. She then takes another pull on her coffee mug.

'That's some strong shit there' she thinks.

"Okay," says Kitsune drawing the word out, "I won't touch that one anymore."

This is when it gets very quiet.

"Good girl," Haruka, putting the pencil down, says in a tone letting her friend know that 'in no uncertain terms' this is not a good time to say anything more right now.

Then her smart phone rings.

"Kitsune, please close up. Thanks," says Haruka answering her call as she rushes out the back door.

"Okay," says the Fox getting up to put away two, now empty, mugs into the sink.

Kitsune knows, as Haruka's good friend, never to pry too much into the Urashima woman's business, as it can be very painful if you do. Therefore, she secures the place and goes up to see if the man of the house is free.

Motoko receives a radio call from Keitaro to come to the Dojo unarmed.

Smiling, as it is her dream to be alone with him. She has finished her dinner and was about to go over to the Dojo anyway. When her Keitaro-sama wants to see her unarmed, she goes to her closet to find her best Yukata. The one her sister had given her will do the trick, as it is silk and meant for her to wear it for a man. Putting it on, she then decides to wear it in the traditional way. Motoko makes sure she looks like the perfect 'Yamato Nadeshiko' before heading out to meet him.

Tragically, the upcoming meeting with her Keitaro-sama will not be one that she is looking for.

Entering the Dojo, she smiles when she sees her Keitaro-sama at the entrance.

Unfortunately, Keitaro is not wearing a smile nor does he say anything before she gets the whole picture of what is about to transpire.

Coming into the traditional side, she then gets an eyeful of a very somber and surprising sight. Haruka and her beloved Ane-ue kneel together on one side of a low table holding hands along with a box of tissues is the only thing on the table, besides four bottles of water.

She sees nothing else.

Keitaro and Motoko kneel together on the other side of the table. The young woman is strangely quiet even though she wants to greet Tsuruko.

An Aoyama representative called her earlier in the day and told her about Tsuruko's discommendation.

Never fully trusting that person, she will hear her from beloved Ane-ue personally and form her own opinion. She has no wish to add to Tsuruko's misery of being totally cut-off from all things Aoyama.

"Motoko-chan, your Onee-san, Haruka and I have some things to tell you. You're not going to like it either but these are things you have to hear," says Keitaro. He starts the meeting without preamble, then adds, "it's because many of these things can and will affect you."

Motoko looks at the man she loves and decides to hear them all out.

Tsuruko then starts, and informs her about the last Omiai. Then, she informs Motoko about their clans' frivolity, hypocrisy and opulent spending. Before going into the pressure that she was under from their elders to marry someone rich so they could regain their fiscal stature and get from underneath the Urashima.

The look on Motoko's face at first is one of disbelief at first, but as Tsuruko continues, it turns to incredulity bordering on anger.

Putting his hand on the young maiden's, Keitaro wishes to steady her resolve to keep listening as some tears form in the corners of her beautiful green eyes.

When Tsuruko gets to the part of loving a woman, Motoko does not know how to react at first. Yuri relationships are something that she has only read about and other than that, she has no firsthand knowledge of these things. Remembering that sometimes she kisses Kitsune or Kaolla on the lips and shares a bed with her, but what Tsuruko and then Haruka describe about their relationship, is a whole lot deeper than some innocent kissing.

Her Ane-ue, her beloved sister and the woman she looks up to the most, is telling her that she is a lesbian and that her lover is Haruka.

Motoko also looks up to the Urashima woman, but she will wait before she draws any conclusion.

Next, Haruka takes her turn and relates her love for Tsuruko.

When Haruka finishes her tale, both of the older women are in tears as they hold each other's hands. This is the hardest thing that either of them has ever had to do. That is, declaring before this young woman, who looks up to them the most, that they are now both 'out of the closet' so to speak.

Cringing a bit when Tsuruko tells her that she had destroyed the Aoyama clan's oldest Katana, Motoko realizes that this was her last act of defiance before they disowned her.

All three women are now sobbing openly.

Motoko, the woman who had since she was a child, believed what she had learned from the Aoyama was correct and honorable. In addition, the things about your own personal honor, the clan and the way of the Katana that has been drilled into her head since she could remember was all for nothing. Her Kaa-san and Ane-ue personally showing her what it what to be a warrior, but now….

Involvement of their parents in not standing up for her does not please her as well.

'Was it all just bullshit,' thinks Motoko disillusioned about quite a few things right now.

Gripping her Keitaro-sama's hand a bit tighter, she is glad that he had asked her to come here unarmed. (Seppuku sounds very good to her at this moment to stop her heart from breaking into pieces.)

Without hesitating, Keitaro starts in after the weeping slows down.

Motoko then learns about the Aoyama financial troubles, the Urashima ownership of the Aoyama properties and of why Hina Obaa-san's Imouto along with her son lives there in the main house to act as administrators of the place.

Keitaro says that the Urashima do not reject those who are gay, because it is a well-known fact that Urashima Reiji is homosexual and plays a prominent part as one of the clan chief advisors on administrative matters.

_This fact alone causes the Aoyama fits._

Shaken to her very core by the piece of news about the Aoyama, Motoko leans into Keitaro and cries harder than before. All of her ideals, the things she had learned up until now are nothing but a pack of lies.

Feeling extremely unworthy right now, she then tries to break free from Keitaro's embrace.

Refusing to let her go, Keitaro knows he can maintain his grip because he is stronger than she is.

"Keitaro-sama, how can you hold someone from a disgraced family and whose life has been nothing but a sham," cries Motoko who is now almost hysterical with grief and shame.

Gently pulling back off from her a little, he firmly takes her by the shoulders and uses his strength to hold her still, says, "Motoko-chan, look at me," she complies with some difficulty, her tears are still flowing, "from now on you and your Onee-san are Urashima. I called Hina Baa-chan and she agrees with me that our clan should take the best from a bad one and add it to our own."

Turning to Tsuruko, who is looking at him intently along with Haruka, Keitaro says, "I was going to tell you, but when this started happening I had to act fast before your former clan could do anything to intervene. The act of taking their last real heir could lead to possible outright war, but Nagisa Ōoba-san right now is presenting a warning of eviction to the Aoyama if they interfere in the Urashima clan's formal adoption of you two. I have a selfish reason for doing this too."

Turning to Motoko, he says, "I love you Motoko-chan and I'll do anything to protect you from them."

Hearing these last few words from him, her thoughts of shame vanish in an instant. The turmoil in her mind also goes away when she hears her Keitaro-sama profess his love for her.

"How can this be, my Keitaro-sama?" asks Motoko.

Completely startled, she does not know how to react when says outright that he is in love with her.

"You're an innocent caught up in shit that shouldn't be tolerated in today's age," says Keitaro finally smiling, "You and your Onee-san have been stuck in a damn seventeenth century mentality so long I'm actually surprised you've taken the news of these things so well. When this meeting started, I thought that you would denounce all of us as liars, and call your Onee-san a traitor. That is why I have also hidden your weapons rack. I'd hate to have to fight you for real."

Struck to the heart by his words, she throws herself bodily at Keitaro and hugs him very tight. In her eyes, he has now replaced everything with warmth and love.

(If they had been alone here, she would have given her virginity to him right on the spot without hesitation.)

Keitaro holds onto the beautiful young woman after his declaration.

Her tears now are only those of joy.

Nevertheless, there is more to come.

Tsuruko comes around the table to embrace her Imouto-chan after Motoko releases the man she loves.

The elder sibling's shame is no more and the younger one will not have any future shame after what Keitaro will be doing for them.

Surprised as well, Haruka understands about the drastic steps that he has taken to rectify the situation with the Aoyama. She knows if anyone could resolve this mess, it would be her Keitaro. How he arrived at the resolution to this problem is what now staggers Haruka's mind. Never would she have thought that he would go so far as to taking the only two remaining heirs of her lover's former clan and accept them into theirs.

Going around the table, she hugs and kisses Keitaro on the cheek.

Haruka is extremely proud of him.

Resolving this situation for now, he knows that it is far from settled. Not by a long shot.

Keitaro has hopes that this never happens again, because next time he will really kill someone in the Aoyama clan. His rage against them for causing this to one of the women he loves and to Haruka's lover is not sated in the least, only mollified for now.

The little 'soap opera' that played itself out this morning has left Keitaro mentally exhausted.

It was something unexpected and did not need under any circumstances, as there is already so much 'on his plate'.

He needs to get away.

That afternoon, in Keitaro's camp…

Tinkering on one of his chainsaws, his smart phone rings.

"Moshi, moshi. Urashima here," says Keitaro in a neutral tone not looking at the screen.

"Hi, Kei-kun," says a concerned voice on the other end, "What are your plans now that everything is out in the open?"

"After having some time to think, Haru-chan," says Keitaro putting the smart phone on speaker, "I am going to take a couple of weeks and work in the back part of the property by myself. The stress of dealing with Tsuruko Nee and Motoko-chan was not something I had needed so soon after moving here."

"Oh," says Haruka surprised by his response.

"Yeah, I am," says Keitaro unused to the situation he was just in, "It would best for everyone if I did. Also, it would give me an opportunity to sort some other shit out as well."

"Should I say anything to the girls about you disappearing so suddenly?" she asks concerned for her favorite relative.

"Just tell them not to come looking for me," he answers, "If Tsu Nee or Motoko-chan want to fill in some details about our discussion, let them. Like I said, I'll be back in two weeks."

"Okay, Kei-kun," Haruka says before hanging up.

Shutting off the device, Keitaro plunges back into his work.

With no distractions for the next two weeks, this is his catharsis and cure for what he needs time to re-center his life. Wanting to place his feet back on the path he set for himself many years ago, he will brook no bullshit from others and will be just as equally hard on himself.

Keitaro's favorite times are those when he has something to do and somewhere to go. With the responsibility of the Hinata now, and its residents along with clan responsibilities, he realizes that this will be his final solitary trip.

As an unexpected bit of luck, a friend then shows up in its usual place.

"Oh hi, I didn't see you there," says Keitaro to the mysterious companion who hops up into the cab of his pickup, "Would you like to come along with me?"

Smiling at the silent response, he closes the door and drives off for the wilderness of the back property.

The Hinata, late afternoon…

The girls come home from school, and at least three out of the four of them go looking for Keitaro.

Naru heads to her room first before going over to check out the jobs list.

None of them can find Keitaro anywhere in the Hinata or in the new Dojo. He is not in his workshops or back at his camp. They then check his storage areas and find nothing.

His pickup and a trailer are missing, as well as a few of his tools.

None of know what to make of this situation.

Back inside, Haruka greets them all somberly.

Tsuruko and Kitsune come up with her.

The Fox is beginning to head off herself to find Keitaro when Haruka asks everyone to sit in the common room for a short meeting.

Sitting down, the residents and Tsuruko all see how sad Haruka looks right now.

The older cousin is trying to form her words as Kitsune asks, "Where's Kei-kun, Haruka?"

The Fox is beginning to worry about what the answer might be since she knows that her friend is struggling to say something.

"Well, minna," says Haruka starting out slowly, "he's gone. For the next two weeks, Keitaro said that he would be disappearing into the wilder part of the Hinata Hill to work, as he needs some time to sort some things out before returning. He asked for all of you stay here and not go try to find him. If you all love and respect him like I know you do, please do as he wishes."

Motoko begins to cry thinking that she is the reason why he has left them.

Tsuruko steps over to comfort the proud girl whose world now revolves around him. She tells her, "Keitaro-sama didn't do this thing because of you Imouto-chan. The stress of dealing with our former clan probably got to him and he needs time to decompress."

"I hope he's safe and eats properly," says Shinobu sitting on Kitsune's lap and hugging the ash-blonde.

For the rest of the day, no one feels much like doing anything since Keitaro is not here. After a light dinner, the girls head off to their own rooms.

Snippets from the girls…

In Motoko's room…

Kneeling before her shrine in a plain Yukata, Motoko lights a lone candle and some incense. She prays that the good spirits will look after her Keitaro-sama and vows to stay at her shrine for the next two weeks, with the exception of school and meals.

She will sacrifice all of her free time praying, so that the man she worships will be 'safe and sound'.

Climbing into her futon, she has a dream about him taking her as a lover. Smiling in her sleep, she will allow him to do so without hesitation when he wishes to claim her.

In Kitsune's room…

Kitsune is beside herself with grief.

Though not responsible for this situation, she is aching for him. This plainspoken workaholic and giant of a man has wormed his way into her heart placing claws deep within her soul.

Crying because she misses him, she also longs to share his bed.

Kitsune has not been drunk in a while and does not feel like medicating herself this evening.

In assessing her life since meeting Keitaro, Kitsune has to admit finally that she has fallen and is in fact very much in love with him.

Wiping the tears away from her eyes, the Fox takes out one of her best adult aids from a dresser drawer before having one hell of fantasy about Keitaro fucking her silly until she passes out.

In Kaolla room…

Having difficulty at first understanding why her 'Onii-chan' left without saying anything to her, she hopes he is safe wherever he went to and hopes that he will be back soon.

No ideas come to her at this time, because her inspiration now is out there alone somewhere in the environs of the hill that he own.

Then vowing to all of her native gods, she pledges that all her inventions will go to help him in his work after he returns home.

'Goodnight, Onii-chan,' thinks Kaolla before she falls asleep in her bed.

In Naru's room…

The brunette calls a very special friend to talk. This is someone that she can tell anything to as they usually comfort her in troubling times.

Although she has no romantic interest in Keitaro, his absence that evening leaves her feeling a bit empty. Empty is the word Naru was looking for as it describes her mood perfectly right now. It is the only way that she can convey this feeling to the person on the other end of the line.

Oh well, she hopes Keitaro is safe wherever he may be.

Saying goodnight to her friend after receiving some solace, Naru goes to bed.

Knowing that he will be okay, because the man has proven himself quite resourceful in all areas to her.

In Shinobu's room…

Crying tears for her Sempai, she has faith that he will return safe very soon. Even though she does not make dinner that evening, she is sure that he will want her to continue until he comes back to her.

She will be strong for him and the others by pouring all that she is into running the Hinata for him until she hugs him next.

"Sempai, I vow to be strong until you're home. Good night," whispers Shinobu as she climbed into bed and falls asleep.

Down with Haruka and Tsuruko…

Both women are silent as they lay in bed together.

Tsuruko holds her best friend and lover close to her knowing that her heart is not into sex right now. She will be Haruka's strength until Keitaro finds his center again and comes home.

"Haru-chan, I'm here for you," she says as the other woman has just fallen asleep.

The back property…

Pouring all of his energy into his work, Keitaro knows that nothing helps him clear the useless shit as he sees it out of his mind faster than good old-fashioned muscle flexing labor.

Whether it is cutting down rotten trees with his saws or cleaning out the underbrush, nothing satisfies him more at this moment than seeing sweat pouring out of his body.

He does not have large muscles for nothing, and does work that would tire any lesser man than him.

Taking no pity on tree, bush, grass or weed that is in his path, they come down, get cut, trampled or just plain cast aside to be dealt with later.

Anger, he believes, is best gotten rid of in a positive manner by draining it of any negative Karma using intensive labor. Some days he does this almost to the point of total exhaustion.

Out here though, he is never truly alone.

A silent companion stays with him for the two weeks of his self-imposed exile.

His companion just sits there and looks on never more than a few meters away.

The noise of a chainsaw does not disturb or make them run away. Unlike others of its kind, they stay with the one it calls friend, as it somehow understands the human concept.

Instinct maybe, who knows?

"Hello, Haru-chan. I'm coming home," says Keitaro into his smart phone.

Smiling, Keitaro has re-captured his center.

End of Chapter


	4. Understanding the changing tide

'The Hands of a Man'  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's notes: Now I hope to lighten things up a bit and show more of Keitaro's human side.

Chapter 4: Understanding the changing tide

"Goodbye, my friend," says Keitaro to his companion who somehow knows that he is heading home, "I'll see you soon."

With him saying this, they drift off into the forest as if they were never here.

Packing up his small encampment, he is now ready to head back.

Dousing the campfire with the last of the water in his portable cooler, Keitaro scatters the wet ashes to make sure that nothing can catch fire back here.

Not bringing a sleeping bag or much of any other bedding, Keitaro just has a folded up blanket to put under his head. The evenings were warm outside and not at all buggy when he slept.

In addition, his companion curled up near him to act as a guardian, when he laid down in the back of the trailer.

The place where his truck and trailer are located had been his home for the past two weeks.

Therefore, with everything loaded up, he says goodbye to this part of his land.

On the way out, Keitaro makes a mental note about everything while he was away from the others. Very pleased with all of the work that he has accomplished out here, Keitaro considers any time he spends working with his hands to be productive time.

Nevertheless, it is time for him to go home.

'Well, off I go,' thinks Keitaro after hopping into his truck and turning over the key. Putting it transmission into gear, he at last heads in the direction of the Hinata.

Knowing that when he gets back, Haruka will probably want to kick his ass for going away. She hates it when he takes off for one of these cooldown periods. They usually leave him feeling extremely haggard and looking like shit afterwards when he decides to come home.

This time though, his mindset is a good state as if Karma somehow is balancing itself back in his favor.

He also speculates that the way Kitsune and Motoko acted towards him before he left, both women will probably want a piece of his ass too. Maybe a gentle part or a literal piece, it is all up to them when they see him.

The former is what he is thinking as it puts a small smile onto his face.

"It has been a long time," he whispers understanding that a big change in his life is about to unfold.

However, one sniff and reality sets in bringing his short time of musing to an abrupt end. You see, Keitaro definitely needs a shower, a clean shave and a good soak in the onsen to rest his weary bones. Shrugging over a normal situation for him, he hopes no one takes offence when he steps into the Hinata.

Checking that off his list of trivial matters, mentally Keitaro is back to where he was before any of the bullshit with the Aoyama had started. With that being the case, he would love to have Kitsune or Motoko wash his back or maybe both of them. Thinking about this almost makes him hard.

'Not now' he thinks taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

The irony does not slip by him.

'I can't wait to see them though,' Keitaro thinks a short time later as he approaches his camp. The wide path he was on turns to pavement as he spies the back of the old place and Tsuruko's now parks her car.

Now that he has the responsibility of caring for the Hinata manse residents, he will have to figure out a new outlet for himself.

The first thing he wants when he arrives is a wash and soak, one of Shinobu's meals along with a cold beer. The rest, well if it comes, it comes.

'Guess it's time to face the music,' he thinks before parking his truck in the lot.

The Hinata's common room…

The news that Keitaro is coming back to the Hinata spreads around the Hinata like a wildfire.

Haruka told the girls on the Hinata's R/T network.

Immediately…

Motoko puts her best Yukata on, as she longs to see her Keitaro-sama. She had missed him terribly.

Kitsune puts on a halter and mini-skirt because she wants to attract his eye. She will give him a proper welcome home later.

Naru hopes that her friend is okay because he had been out in the backwoods by himself.

Shinobu prepares a feast for her beloved Senpai. In her kitchen, she is making all of his favorites.

Kaolla, when she hears the news about her Onii-chan coming home, the Princess placed a camera by the backdoor. She then quickly programmed a tablet so she watch for when his truck pulls into the back lot.

Now that the news has sunk in, the girls along with Haruka and Tsuruko all wait in the common room while watching for Keitaro's truck to return. They enjoy some small talk until then.

Shinobu has all of her prepped food in the big fridge waiting for when it is the proper time to cook them.

Keeping vigil, they all then see Keitaro's pick up pull into the lot on the small screen.

After a quick cheer, four of the girls take off and head towards the backdoor. They run outside to see Keitaro as if shot out of a gun.

"I've never seen Kitsune move that fast in my life," says Naru to the two older women who just got off the loveseat.

"Do I have to restrain you from kicking Kei-kun's ass, Haru-chan?" asks Tsuruko as go outside.

"Depends on if you can catch me first," answers Haruka as her lover takes her hand.

The two then smile knowingly at each other.

"Come on, let's go," says the brunette trying not to laugh at their antics.

The three women laugh together walking towards the backdoor and over the small bridge to where the parking lot is.

The first thing they see is a rough looking Keitaro with Kitsune hugging him on one side, Motoko on the other side, little Shinobu who is in possession of his front and Kaolla Su is occupying his back, literally.

The older two are take turns kissing his lips and face as the petit chef continued squeezing him.

"Hi, Haru-chan," says Keitaro greeting his cousin as if it was the most natural thing to do, "You want to kick my ass in the Dojo after I get cleaned up?"

The four clinging to him looked over at her.

Naru just stands there and laughs.

He has a slightly preoccupied look on his face.

"Hey, Ruko-chan, I think Kei-kun's been reading your mind," says Haruka in a half-serious tone, "You'd better give me a hug or I just might do it right here."

After a few seconds, the others release him as she steps in.

Shocking the others, she swats him with her ubiquitous fan, which is in the front of her work apron. Then, she squeezes the stuffing out of her much taller cousin and nearly bawls her eyes out because she always worries about him.

"Don't ever fucking takeoff like that again, Kei-kun," says the woman who cares for him like a son, "I never know what's going to happen to you."

The others look at Haruka again because this normally stoic woman always seems to get emotional around him.

"That's the last time I'm ever going to do this going away bit, Haru-chan," says Keitaro in a soft tone, "I've got too many responsibilities now to do that anymore."

This is when he looks around at everyone standing here with him.

Haruka smiles in relief when she hears this and then hugs him again.

_Now a page turns in Keitaro's life._

In the onsen, a little bit of fun…

Stripping off his work clothes, Keitaro slips on a pair of shorts and grabs a few extra towel. The others will be using the onsen as well and will want to be near him.

First, he needs to get through the preliminaries, as we shall see…

Sitting on a stool and throwing a bucket of water over himself, Keitaro readies to wash away two weeks' worth of dirt, grime and sweat off his body. He has a deeper tan than what is usual for a normal Japanese man. His skin is a deep bronze made so by his many years outside working in the sunshine. A westerner could easily get jealous.

The liquid soap he has with him has a good clean scent, but he does not get a chance to apply it. Instinct tells him that something pleasant is about to happen.

"Don't be shy, Motoko-chan," he hears coming from the entrance to the area set aside as his personal wash area.

He smiles when the sliding door opens. The sight he sees before him instantly catches his attention.

"Hi, Kei-kun," says Kitsune stepping in with her basket. She is wearing one of her 'barely there' bikinis. She reaches out and pulls someone else in here.

Motoko steps in blushing furiously, and he can see why.

Kitsune made sure that Motoko put on an extremely revealing bikini as well before coming downstairs. The Fox picked it out for her knowing that the taller teen has a luscious body as well and wants her to show Keitaro more skin.

You see, this little escapade formed itself in the back of the Foxes' mind just a short while before finding out that Keitaro was coming home. The look on the Motoko's face was priceless when Kitsune told the younger teen about her plan. Seeing the blush on Motoko's face was worth it.

Keitaro is extremely hard because he likes what he sees and is thankful for putting the shorts on. It somewhat surprises him though that the two are taking such initiative themselves. Kitsune though…

Motoko's face glows bright red and she almost faints when she sees her Keitaro-sama sitting almost naked on a stool before her. Almost dropping her basket, she just about walks into the wall before her. Only Kitsune's quick thinking prevents a comedic pratfall.

Putting their baskets on a bench by the lockers, the two come over and kneel behind him.

"May we wash your back, Kei-kun?" asks Kitsune huskily as she kisses his neck.

Motoko, nervous with anticipation, picks up a couple of sponges and hands one to Kitsune. Paying attention to what her Sempai is doing, Motoko mimics all of Kitsune's actions.

"Calm down, Motoko-chan. You're here washing the back of the man you love," whispers the Fox softly into Motoko's ear. The young woman is almost in rapture since she is doing something romantic with her Keitaro-sama.

Kitsune has to laugh when Motoko keeps dropping her sponge.

Keitaro is highly amused that the two are actually out here for the express purpose of washing his back. In addition, seeing Motoko in a hot string bikini adds to his agony, so he has to keep slowly breathing in and out.

'I didn't know Motoko-chan's breasts were that big,' he thinks before becoming the recipient of an unexpected, but very nice surprise.

The sponges stop their job, as Keitaro feels at first one set of large bare breasts followed by a second pair dig their hardened nipples into his back to move the soap around.

"Fuck," he hisses and listens to Kitsune purr before nibbling on his ear.

His erection is causing him some major discomfort at this moment, and it only got worse when Motoko joined in.

The duo kiss his neck and nibble on his ears causing him to smile and all the while, both women continue to rub their big tits all over his broad muscular back.

'Damn it to hell! I really need to get laid,' thinks Keitaro. He drapes his spare towel over his lap with the previous one. If he does not concentrate on something else quickly, he will have a big mess down the right leg of his shorts.

He wants both of them, but the timing sucks.

Kitsune comes around to his front just as Keitaro placed the extra towel on his lap. She instantly caught onto his signals and immediately knew why he did it. A large, quite long lump down there clued her in as well.

Motoko also comes around after covering her large breasts back up, but she does not catch on to why he had the extra towels yet. _Yet, being the key…_

Kitsune is losing her cool because Keitaro is attempting to hide his stiff cock from her. This knowledge is very intoxicating to the ashen-haired beauty.

Nevertheless, Keitaro notices this and understands that something is about to happen with the Fox. He is doing all in his power to maintain his own sense of continuity right now.

'If only the others weren't over there,' he thinks. He does more slow and steady breathing.

Kitsune is trying to control her drooling and is failing miserably. It seems that our little Fox would love to jump Keitaro's bones and have him make a mess inside of her.

Motoko finally catches on to what is happening with Kitsune and is in awe that she is one the causes of her Keitaro-sama's distress. If he wanted her right here, she would not stop him from claiming her body. Her resolve is almost ready to crumble into dust and she is feeling very hot right now.

_Seemingly, the onsen is not the only place where steam is coming from right now._

Things almost escalate over the edge when Motoko hears…

"May we wash your front now, Kei-kun?" asks Kitsune with lust in her eyes.

"Sure, Kitsune-chan," says Keitaro looking at her dubiously. 'This is so fucking wrong,' he thinks to himself. Karma is really slapping him right now…

All he can do is sit here and suffer until the spa's soothing waters can help him relax. He can feel that his prostate is about to spasm, because it has been a while since he last had sex. It would make a huge mess because he has a lot saved up down there.

"Why? Is my Kei-kun hiding a little something extra from me underneath there?" teases Kitsune turning up the heat.

Motoko is bright red right now because she would love to see is going on underneath the towels in his lap. She starts to breathe again as her excitement almost gets the best of her.

For Keitaro, this is the last straw. If he does not get back in control of this situation, there will be some awkward consequences… and a big mess.

"Geezus, Kitsune. You know I've got a raging hard-on under these towels and there's not a fucking thing I can do about it," he hisses in exasperation.

Keitaro catches both women off guard with that comment.

He continues in a somewhat calmer tone, "Between you cock-teasing me, giving Motoko-chan suggestive tips on what to do when she is alone with me, those hot bikinis you are wearing and then to top it all off, feeling two sets of large tits washing my back. Why wouldn't I be this stiff?"

Both women blink, Kitsune is on the verge of pouncing on him.

Without realizing the ramifications of his words, he then adds, "I swear by all of the gods, you two. If it was just the three of us in here, I'd be fucking the two of you shitless right now."

He shifts his weight a little on the stool so he can be more comfortable.

Kitsune pounces, but never reaches her target.

Motoko grabs Kitsune and has to restrain her after Keitaro finishes bawling them out. The ash-blonde wants to grab that seemingly large cock of his, impale her pussy on it and have him fuck her senseless. It does not matter to her if there are other people sitting on the other side from where she is and are relaxing in the onsen. Admitting that he is hard, and wanting to have sex with her, is like sticking a bait bag in front of an oncoming Great White Shark.

'Damn it, Kei-kun! Why do I love you so much?' thinks Kitsune looking at the handsome man sitting on stool just out of her reach.

Keitaro finds this situation highly amusing, but he manages to keep up his neutral façade.

"Shit," hisses the Fox in frustration as she starts to whimper, as she is not strong enough to break out of Motoko's grasp.

Motoko gets a great idea and whispers something into Kitsune's ear.

The older woman stops struggling in her arms and smiles. Turning some, she looks into the eyes of her protégé.

Motoko nods.

The smile widens and both women then look lasciviously at Keitaro.

Motoko lets her go and the two straighten their bikinis, take a deep breath and pick up the sponges continue what they started. Not going below his waist, Kitsune hands her sponge to Keitaro and kneels next Motoko.

Watching him wash from his thighs on down, the two drool almost uncontrollably.

When he finishes, Motoko pours a bucket of warm water over her Keitaro-sama to rinse the soap off him.

Both women like the sight of his glistening skin as he sits there.

Keitaro is a little dubious as to why they changed tack right then, but as long as they do not make another grab for the towels or his shorts, he does not care.

Before heading out the onsen, he asks the two to wait outside the wash area. He stands and tosses the towels into the laundry bin. Looking down the front of himself, Keitaro takes a few moments to adjust his shorts and is thankful that the legs go down to his knees. Grabbing a larger bath towel off the shelf, he wraps it around his waist because he does not want to give anyone a show.

"C'mon, Kei-kun. Let's go," whines Kitsune through the door.

Then, he steps out of the men's area.

Understanding what is happening with Keitaro, Kitsune and Motoko grab his arms and escort him over to the soothing bath.

Everyone notices what is going on as the oversized towel inadequately does its job.

There is some snickering coming from the onsen.

A grinning Kitsune pinches his tight ass.

Sitting down with them, Keitaro audibly sighs and sees the smirk on his cousin's face. He takes off the towel and places it on the edge of the onsen.

"Are you enjoying your fan service, Kei-kun?" asks Haruka sitting with her girlfriend at the back of the onsen. One way or another she is going to bust his balls for being away from her.

The others all laugh with her.

Shinobu turns bright red because she saw the huge outline in front of the towel and did not faint. She came out here to be with her Sempai.

Kaolla wants to sit on her Onii-chan's lap, but he asks her to wait a while. She giggles when she sees why and just gives him a quick hug before sitting back with Shinobu.

"What do you think, Haru-chan?" asks Keitaro rhetorically knowing that he is in for it tonight. He stoically accepts his fate.

Keitaro looks at both of his onsen companions and smiles. Having taken possession of his arms, the two have those muscular limbs surrounded by their large breasts.

Having such a large erection is supplying Haruka with plenty of ammo and none of her shots misses their target. Even in the midst of the younger girls, her language is quite pointed.

For the time being, with his erection calming down to the point where he can finally relax, Keitaro begins to feel a bit smug. Finally, he can sit here with two gorgeous women in hot bikinis on his arms and enjoy himself.

"Haru-chan, all I can say to you is, please close your window down at your apartment. I have had many a good laugh listening to the two of you scream into the night. Shit, I never thought 'carpet licking' could be that good," says Keitaro teasing Haruka with a straight face.

He gets Haruka's and the others attention fast. His cousin knows that he has bested her this time, but she is not going to let it go. "At least I'm getting some right now, Kei-kun," says Haruka sticking her tongue out and pulling her eyelid down at him. She then backs this up by deeply French-kissing Tsuruko right in front of everyone.

Without hesitation everyone laughs, including Keitaro. It looks as though she has really gotten him good this time. Putting his hands up in surrender, he signifies to her that she has won this round.

Naru laughs very loud, but she misses her significant other's company right now. She will call them in the morning about getting together for a date.

Trying to get a horny Kitsune to let go of him after his soak is a difficult task at best. He still has to shave and dress so he will look presentable enough to help Shinobu get dinner ready. This event is almost a comedy of errors, because Motoko and Naru have to pry her fingers off him and then off the men's dressing area door.

The two women manage somehow to drag Kitsune off screaming and swearing to their side of the changing area.

Meanwhile…

The last two to enter the women's dressing area are Haruka and Tsuruko.

"Tsu-chan, I know that you're cheering for your Imouto-chan to get him first," says Haruka conspiratorially to her girlfriend, "but my money's on Kitsune to bed him before she does."

The two women dress alone, the other have already finished.

"Even though it looks as if Motoko-han is about ready to explode, Haru-chan," starts Tsuruko, "I believe that Mitsune will get to him first. Nevertheless, mark my words, that they both will have him very soon because I see the hungry look that is in both of their eyes."

Snickering, Haruka nods.

Then the taller woman adds, "right now, Keitaro-sama is like a hobbled deer being hunted by a pair of starving she-wolves."

The two women look at each other and burst out into laughter.

Dressed, they hold hands and go inside for dinner.

In the kitchen…

Now that Keitaro is clean, shaven and more presentable, he helps Shinobu in getting tonight's dinner ready. It had been their routine to cook together and he is happily falling back into it with her.

What the petit chef sees this particular evening makes her smile. That is, she sees a calmer and more relaxed Senpai, which pleases her more than anything in the world does right now.

"I'm so glad you're home, Senpai," says Shinobu with a bright smile on her face, "I've got some great news for you too."

Pouring some sauce into a fry pan to sauté some pork strips, she knows that he will love it.

"What's that, Shinobu-chan?" asks Keitaro who has taken an interest in everything that this girl does.

Getting the rice cooker going, he then runs a load of dirty dishes through the dishwasher.

"Thanks to you and my other Senpais here, I had the highest score on my grade's end of semester finals," says Shinobu with obvious pride. She turns on her bench so she can look at the man she adores.

"Excellent, Shinobu-chan," says Keitaro, "Always remember this, take pride in your accomplishments. They tell more people about you than words."

He is extremely pleased with her and leans over for a minute to give her a quick hug before putting some thin beef that Shinobu has sliced onto skewers.

She blushes but smiles nonetheless and then makes a teriyaki sauce to soak the skewers in before they are roasted.

"Senpai did you miss us?" asks Shinobu putting some sliced vegetables into a steamer.

"Yes I did, Shinobu-chan," replies Keitaro reflectively, "I missed all of you very much but I had some issues to deal with and thought it best to get away for a bit. I am just very thankful that everything was able to resolve itself without too much added bother."

Shinobu hears how her Senpai has struggles with things as she does, and learns that no matter how perfect someone may appear, they are still human.

After putting the lid on a steamer, she jumps off her wide stool and returns a hug to Keitaro.

Once again, he smiles at Shinobu.

"Don't go away anymore, Senpai," says Shinobu as she lets him go, "I'll always be here for you."

He is glad to hear this.

They then finish making dinner together and smile contentedly.

The Hinata crew considers dinner this evening a masterpiece. Everyone heaps praise on both of tonight's chefs.

As usual, Keitaro makes sure that Shinobu gets the lion's share of all of the accolades.

Later, in Kitsune's room…

Pacing back and forth, Kitsune is very pensive at this moment. The earlier situation in the onsen with Keitaro is still fresh in her mind. Especially the fact that she and Motoko caused him to become very hard. By what she saw, he was packing quite a bit underneath his towels and shorts.

She also recognizes that Motoko was right in preventing her from getting at that seemingly large cock of his earlier, because it would definitely be a lot better to wait until he was by himself. It would have been awkward.

'Damn it to hell!' thinks a frustrated Fox, 'I'm so fucking horny right now I could just explode.' Kitsune wants Keitaro hold her in his strong arms so she can scream out his name as he is fucks her silly.

Kneeling on a tatami mat, Motoko is in a beautiful silk Yukata-style robe and watches her friend with a wary eye. She too wants her Keitaro-sama.

"I know that we agreed to share Kei-kun, Motoko-chan," says Kitsune looking Motoko squarely in the eye, "but right now I'm going nuts in here."

The expression on the Fox's face more than communicates this sentiment.

"I am having the same difficulty, Kitsune-Sempai," responds Motoko, "I want him to take me as well, and if that doesn't happen soon, I will take matters into my own hands."

The kneeling teen beauty has a growing heat inside of her lower body that is nearing a molten state. Meditation by itself no longer works in helping her to maintain any semblance of an inner balance and she finds herself masturbating a lot more at night.

Kitsune sits down on the edge her western style bed and realizes that the two of them have the same incessant desires towards Keitaro. They love the same man, are extremely horny in his presence and want him to fuck them silly. At least she does…

"I've got an idea, Motoko-chan. Since we have agreed to share him, one of us has to find out what kind of a lover he is. Haruka has not been too forthcoming about how big he is or even if he is good in bed or not. Shit, she wouldn't know too much about that stuff anyway since she's gay and in a relationship with your Onee-san," says Kitsune matter-of-fact, and then adds, "I guess this is something that we're going to have to find out on our own."

"Yes, Kitsune-Sempai," says Motoko, "I have agree with you."

She has only considered giving the gift of her virginity to one man and that is to her Keitaro-sama. It is her desire to have him hold her in his arms as she gives it to him.

"But how do we resolve this situation, Motoko-chan?" asks Kitsune now laying on her stomach and crossing her bent knees.

"Onegai, Kitsune-Sempai," says Motoko in a moment of clarity, "You should be the one to go to him first. Although I want him in every way, I'm too nervous right now."

She wants to know how he is with Kitsune first, because the Fox has had a lot more experience in the sexual arts and in pleasing men.

"Are you sure, Motoko-chan?" asks Kitsune who is amazed that her younger friend would be this magnanimous.

"Hai, Kitsune-Sempai," responds Motoko, "I believe that would be best course of action."

There are tears falling from her beautiful green eyes.

Kitsune gets off her bed and kneels next to her friend. She pulls her into her arms as Motoko begins to cry.

"I promise you this, Mo-chan," says Kitsune comforting her with a smile, "He will take you because I'll make damn sure that he does."

"Go to him, Kitsune-Sempai," says Motoko quietly, "Take him to yourself tonight and let me know everything, so I may be ready when he takes me."

After another minute, she stops crying and wipes her eyes. Motoko will cheer on her friend and support her efforts to snag their man tonight. Her time with him will come soon enough.

"All right then," says Kitsune after releasing Motoko and standing up.

Motoko stands up as well and watches as Kitsune changes her clothes.

"You first have to have the proper bait to catch your prey," says Kitsune winking at Motoko. She does an impromptu strip show causing the younger woman to blush at the sight of her beautiful body.

Motoko, though bright red, absorbs everything that the Fox says and does.

Pulling out a thin halter, a very short mini-skirt and a skimpy string panty, Kitsune dresses to thrill.

An audible gulp from Motoko.

With everything on, the Fox looks into her full-length mirror and likes what is looking back at her. Reaching into her closet once more, Kitsune pulls out some wedges for her feet.

"Time for this Vixen to go hunting," says Kitsune in a husky voice with her shoes in hand.

Before slinking out of her room, she surprises Motoko by pulling the girl into her arms and planting a very passionate French kiss onto her mouth.

For some reason, the statuesque teen enjoys it as their tongues twirl.

"That's for luck," adds Kitsune after the kiss breaks. Certain ideas float around in her mind for some future fun with Motoko.

"Gambatte, Kitsune-Sempai," says Motoko as encouragement. For some reason, she enjoyed that kiss.

Kitsune slips out of her room, sashays down the hallway and as she heads out of the backdoor, puts her shoes on.

The Fox goes after her prey.

At the outdoor camp…

Lying comfortably in his hammock, Keitaro takes stock of all the day's events. He wearing some light-blue warm ups and a ratty old tee shirt not knowing that company will be coming.

_Karma has strange ways in balancing a ledger…_

It seems that the girls were out here taking care of his camp while he was gone. From the freshly laundered bedding inside of his tent to the sea bag containing his clean clothes, Shinobu washed, ironed and maintained his outdoor home. There is good quality beer in his portable fridge along with some soda.

'Thank you Shinobu-chan, Kitsune, Naru-chan, Motoko-chan, Haru and Kaolla-chan,' he thinks as a huge smile creeps over his face. He likes it that the girls think this highly of him. Somehow, it makes a man feel wanted.

The evening sky bathes the camp in its light. The stars and moon show themselves perfectly in their glorious splendor. Keitaro is glad that his Obaa-san had given him this land if only for the glorious nighttime view of the heavens. In all of the time that he has spent outdoors, no view of the sky at night has been better for viewing than right here on Hinata Hill.

Picking out all of the constellations and their component stars, he smiles at his unobstructed view. The glow of all the stars lights everything up in an ambient glow so he can see things quite clearly.

Hearing the footsteps of someone approaching his camp, he suddenly sees the glorious sight of a gorgeous woman bathed in moonlight.

"Hi, Kitsune," is all Keitaro can say as he turns his head to see her walk over to where he is.

"Hey, Kei-kun. Got any room in that hammock for me?" asks Kitsune in a husky voice.

Bathed in the light of the campfire, she likes looking at the man lying there because he looks extra yummy to her.

"Sure," says Keitaro. Without another word, he reaches out and grabs her by the ass. Shifting his weight, he tilts the hammock down a little and uses his considerable strength to pull the beautiful woman in with him.

"Oh Kami, Kei-kun," squeals Kitsune with delight. She did not expect him literally to sweep her off her feet. Right now Kitsune could care less, she is where she wants to be.

He likes it, as she starts right in. It seems that she needs some too.

'Shit! This 'six-pack,' she thinks feeling the rippled muscles of his lower abdomen with her right hand. She slips it up the front of his shirt and feels the rock hard chest muscles underneath.

Keitaro smiles and enjoys Kitsune's hand running all over his body. It has been a while since he has felt a good-looking woman's touch, so she can do whatever she wants. 'Shit, it looks like I'll be getting some tonight,' he thinks shifting his weight.

Their lips meet and it is like lightning striking her as his tongue comes out to play with hers.

'Damn! He's good,' thinks the woman who prides herself on her own sexual prowess. However, nothing can prepare her for what happens next. She starts to moan when Keitaro begins to fondle one of her large breasts.

"Oh Kami," she gasps.

Moaning, he tweaks her hardened nipple and gently tugs at it.

They kiss again and she runs her hand over him. When she gets to his lower abdomen, she touches the prize that she had been seeking. Kitsune is shocked at what is in her hand and then runs down the full length of his manhood. Would it ever stop…?

"Shit, Kei-kun. Is this what you were hiding from me and Motoko-chan earlier?" asks a stunned Kitsune. She has never felt anything this huge.

"Like it, Kit-chan? I grew this one especially for you," says Keitaro in a soft voice changing the honorific. After she teased had him so much earlier, he is going to torture her the same way by using a lot of innuendo and double entendre. Before the night is over this woman will be a driveling mass of goo by the time that they are in his bed, if he plans this right.

No, he does not deal this way with a woman that he likes. Playing it straight up is his method of doing things. Why should he be subtle and tease this stunning woman when she is freely throwing herself at him.

"Y-yes," stammers the Fox, she realizes to her joy that she is in for one hell of an evening.

"Good," replies Keitaro. He runs a finger across the back curve of her large left breast.

'Glad I'm not a virgin,' she thinks shivering in delight. Kitsune thought he might be big, but this is almost too much for her to take in.

They kiss again.

Kitsune drapes a shapely leg over his and reaches her hand inside his warm-ups to take possession of his manhood. 'Oh fuck,' she thinks.

There is no turning back now for her.

She moves slightly, and throws her free arm around his neck.

Their tongues are still in a battle for supremacy.

At the same time, he takes his hand out of her halter.

Kitsune whimpers softly through the kiss because his huge rough hand was so gentle and had touched all of the right spots on her breasts. _She need not worry about what his hand will do next._

Slowly, Keitaro runs his big hand up and down the side of her body causing the Fox to moan again.

She just ripples with delight wherever he touches her.

Keitaro loves how her skin feels. It is very smooth and supple to the touch.

'Oh shit, he does that so fucking well,' thinks an ecstatic Kitsune lying here in his arms.

It is time for her to draw him in.

Hoping he will get the clue, Kitsune shifts a little, releases his hardened cock and moves her leg off his.

He smiles knowing what she wants to do next.

Kitsune leans back, bends her knee and spreads her legs. _She cannot believe how wet she is._

One thing that she will learn very quickly, Keitaro always gets the clue. It amazes her at how rapidly he notices all of her little signals, hints and intimations.

Keitaro goes for it…

'Kami, this is so unreal,' thinks Kitsune once more as his huge hand goes up her skirt and into her panties. _She is in heaven._

"Whoa," whispers Keitaro in between kisses. Her clitoris is extremely hard.

"Unnhh, Kei-kun," moans Kitsune releasing his lips as his finger penetrates her. She cries out as he pushes it deep into her pussy.

A moment later, Kitsune has an orgasm and cums heavily splashing them both with her pent up juices.

It astonishes him that she went off so quickly, and squirted so heavily. He removes his hand and prepares himself for what may come next.

"Fuck me, Kei-kun," whimpers Kitsune after catching her breath. _She just has to be one with him._

Without hesitation, Keitaro shifts around to the edge of his swinging bed and sits up putting his feet on the ground. With her in his lap, he stands and carries her into his tent bridal-style.

The flap stays open because it is about to get very hot in there.

Kitsune knows that she will pay for this night in the morning, but for now though she does not care.

Not long afterwards, a cry goes forth…

"Oh shit!" screams Kitsune from inside the tent, as she finally becomes one with Keitaro.

Keitaro shares his all with her as she shrieks into the night.

A dip in the lake together soothes them both to end their time underneath the overnight stars.

Next morning, Tea Shoppe…

Tsuruko sits at a desk that her lover bought for her after Keitaro built Haruka a new office in the back of the Tea Shoppe. He has been doing quite a few renovations here for Haruka as well. Keitaro gutted the back of the storehouse and installed all new modern materials. _This finally brings the place up to code._

Haruka is washing the dishes wondering where Kitsune is this morning. She is not late or anything it is just that the ash-blonde always enjoys her first cup of coffee down here along with the morning gossip and bullshit sessions that the three women have been having since her lover moved in.

Then, the two older women see an interesting sight as a certain person comes walking in the back door.

"Hey, Tsu-chan. Look at what the cat dragged in this morning," says Haruka smirking after the Fox enters her place.

Now that she is here, Kitsune wears a knee-length denim skirt and walks gingerly past the office of the Tea Shoppe.

In addition, she is a bit bowlegged.

"Fuck off, Haruka!" says Kitsune tersely who knows that she is in for a major ball busting this morning from the other two.

"Ah, did we sleep with my little Kei-kun last night?" asks Haruka in a sooky voice.

Tsuruko starts to laugh as Kitsune winces when she sits at the table.

"Dammit to hell, Haruka!" says a tired and 'cheesed off' Kitsune, "There is nothing little about him. You knew that I wanted him, so why didn't you fucking warn me about how big that cock of his was, or even about that damned stamina of his. Shit, he rode me most of the night. I really am not all that sore, just all stretched out now. Bitch!" She is a little pissed off at Haruka right now and her voice sounds quite a bit raspy. _Screaming will do that to one's vocal cords._

Both women raise an eyebrow on her last comment as Tsuruko stops laughing.

Nothing happens though…

Since nothing happens, Tsuruko starts in again.

Kitsune isn't about to tell either one of them that she has just had the best sex in her life, or that she was screamed his name out at the top of her lungs while he fucked her brains out. The Fox will only share her experiences with Motoko.

"Anyway, what did you want to know anyway?" asks Haruka teasingly, then sarcastically adds, "I would not have a clue anyway as to how large he is because I am gay, remember. However, I can tell you that he has had a lot of experience with women, and when it comes to his stamina, it is quite phenomenal. Shit, you never asked me anything, and if you did, I would have told you what I knew."

"Thanks for nothing, Haruka," hisses Kitsune crossing her arms and acting like a petulant child.

The shop owner amuses herself by watching her friend constantly shifting from side-to-side in her chair. In addition, Haruka notices a change in Kitsune's attire this particular morning and understands that the Fox is just 'grouching' off so she ignores the 'bitch' comment. It is also the first time that she can remember Kitsune not bragging about having sex after the fact. Maybe because doing it with Keitaro seems to be so much different than it was with anyone else.

Then, the Fox looks ruefully over at the other woman who is there with them in the office.

The temperature seemingly drops in here…

"And what the fuck are you laughing at, Tsuruko?" asks Kitsune looking over at the business woman, "Your Imouto-chan wants him worse than me." She wants to change the subject and get the focus off her.

"I already know that, Kitsune," says Tsuruko matter-of-fact, "Did Motoko-han tell you that she is on birth control now? I believe that she will be ready for him when he comes to claim her."

"When did this happen, Tsuruko?" asks Kitsune genuinely surprised and interested. _This piece of news is new to her._

"My Imouto-han came to me the other day after I had finished transacting my daily business," answers Tsuruko, "she sat down right where you're sitting now and told me everything concerning her love for Keitaro-sama. It is also her fondest wish to become his bride because she turned sixteen last December. I have never seen such determination from her in all my life."

"Motoko-chan never let on about that to me, Tsuruko," responds Kitsune quizzically.

"That's like her sometimes though, Kitsune. She can become very embarrassed and shy when it comes to talking about intimate things. I know that you don't doubt her sincerity in this do you?" asks Tsuruko. She knows about the strong friendship between the Fox and Motoko.

"Never. Shit, Kei-kun is all she ever talks about sometimes. I want to try to get those two together into the same bed. I mean this sincerely, only when she thinks she is ready for him. With her, this can't be rushed because she loves him so much, maybe even more so than me," says Kitsune without pause.

"We both know that. Right, Tsu-chan," says Haruka easing up on her younger friend.

"Shit you two, I just hope I'll last through the day," says Kitsune with a feral grin, "That's a dangerous weapon Kei-kun's got there between his legs."

With that said, she is sounding more like her normal self.

The three laugh together.

"Now you know," responds Tsuruko using a bit of sarcasm.

"I'm glad I've fallen in love with him, because he's ruined me for anyone else. He's the only one I want now," says Kitsune with a gleam in her eye.

Haruka hands her an apron because they are about to open. Kitsune stands gingerly with the other two and shares one last laugh with them.

Some of the wait staff file by the office as customers come in through front door.

They will have to conclude this conversation at another time.

Activity on Hinata Hill…

Over the next few weeks, Keitaro and the girls work very hard around the Hinata. On the weekends and since school is closed for the summer break, it seems like the old place is a hive of activity.

Kaolla Su wants to help her Onii-chan, so he shows her how to handle and drive his tractors.

He figures that since she is a genius he will give her the responsibility driving and maintaining his work vehicles. Keitaro knows that if he gives the Princess adult responsibilities, her innate mental maturity will shine through. Yes, she is a handful sometimes, but Kaolla has developed a lot of respect for Keitaro and like Shinobu, a bit of a crush.

She mows all of grass on Hinata Hill and is ecstatic when her Onii-chan praises her for doing a great job with his machines around the property.

Keitaro, along with some local Academy students plant trees and saplings along both sides of the newly widened and paved back road. 'I hope,' he thinks, 'this will prevent any future mud- and rockslides from happening back here.' He then spreads grass and wild flower seeds along the roadside to cover over all of the rocky soil because it is such an eyesore.

After this, his friends from the construction crew help him build two western-style cabins: one by the pond with bunk beds in the front and a large private bedroom in the back; the other is by the spot where he cleared land during his self-imposed 'exile'.

While all of this is going on Motoko, and later in the day Kitsune, are no more than ten meters away from him. Since he has come back, neither woman lets him out of their sight for very long. Shinobu and Kaolla do the same as well.

Naru and Shinobu get out the paint and brushes to paint around the front and back entryways. They also paint some of the larger rocks white over by the parking lot that Keitaro and Kaolla expanded now to twelve spots for any future residents. This, along with some new high intensity spotlights that Keitaro and Kaolla put up. This lights up just about everything on the Hinata hilltop.

Kaolla also installs perimeter alarms and motion detectors to trip the lights on if any unauthorized person comes around here at night.

Keitaro, with Kaolla's help, programs proximity access cards for the all residents when he installs mag-locks on all of the properties doors.

A change in one's life…

One evening in late July, Motoko finally summons up the courage to become her Keitaro-sama's woman.

It has been a busy day and the others are all exhausted from working out on the Hill. Keitaro and Kitsune put Shinobu and Kaolla to bed as the two youngest girls fall asleep right after dinner.

Naru, after finishing dinner, tells the others that she will not be home for a few days because she is going over to her girlfriend's place.

Keitaro thanks her for her hard work and pays her a substantial amount of Yen because she has her initials in quite a few spots on the jobs lists by the common room.

She likes the fact that Keitaro is very generous as she receives her pay.

He even gives her a little bonus.

Before leaving, she puts her R/T in the spot marked for her.

After thanking her Kanrinin, Naru goes to bed because she has to pack and leave early in the morning.

Kitsune, since giving her body to him, has been having a lot of sex with Keitaro. Tonight though she is very tired and knows that Motoko is ready for him.

Keitaro tells her that he is going out to the lake for an evening swim and that she is free to join him if she wants.

She declines saying that she is going to be busy at Haruka's place in the morning. After making out with him for a little while she slinks off to bed.

Outside at the lake…

Keitaro decides to go skinny-dipping this evening.

It had been a very hot day and the cool water will feel very good on his tired, achy muscles. Feeling like a little kid, he gets a wild idea and decides to run into the water naked before diving right in.

"That felt so good," says Keitaro quietly after he stands up. He smiles as the cool waters shock re-energizes him.

"I'm so glad to hear that, my Keitaro-sama," says Motoko standing there nude on the edge of the lake.

The light from the stars in the sky gives the statuesque teen beauty an ethereal glow. The moon in the background places a halo effect around her magnificent body.

She smiles at him.

"You must be part shinobi, Mo-chan," says Keitaro smiling at the young goddess before him, "I did not hear you coming."

Keitaro changes her honorific just as he did with Kitsune.

The cold water initially made him very hard, but seeing the vision of loveliness on the shore before him now brings on some major agony.

Slowly, with no hesitation, Motoko enters the water and wades over to the man she loves.

Earlier that evening, Kitsune stopped by her room and told Motoko where Keitaro would be tonight.

She then meditated to calm her nerves.

Afterwards, she pulled out a very short silk Kimono robe from her closet and slipped it on. For some reason, Motoko is no longer nervous and after stepping into her sandals by the back door, she went outside to be with her Keitaro-sama.

"I love you, my Keitaro-sama," says Motoko putting her arms around his neck.

"I love you too, Mo-chan. You are very beautiful," says Keitaro. He takes her by the waist with his powerful hands.

He is gentle, pulling her to him as they kiss.

Motoko likes the fact that he is only a little over ten and half centimeters taller than her so she does not have to stand on tippy-toe like Kitsune when kissing him.

Their tongues twirl as their bodies come together. Motoko moans a little when she feels his living weapon stab against her belly.

Gently, he fondles her large breasts.

He is not only hard because of the water.

She gasps when he tenderly tweaks her nipples and pulls at them as they kiss. Even though they are standing in cool waist deep water Motoko has never felt so hot in her life.

'My Keitaro-sama is like this because of me,' she thinks. This knowledge emboldens Motoko to reach down and take possession of his sword of flesh.

"Careful, Mo-chan. It's loaded," says Keitaro wanting her to feel at ease.

For some reason, he feels no guilt about this situation, although she is a bit young for him. In addition, Keitaro knows how much this moment means to Motoko despite the difference in the ages. _Almost eight years._

Giggling a little, she blushes at his innuendo.

They kiss again when he reaches down to touch her most sacred place.

She moans happily through the kiss as he fingers her. This is the first time that a man has touched her in this manner.

He hears her moans through their kisses.

Motoko does not need any foreplay, as she wants him now.

Stepping out of the lake, they head into the cabin.

She takes his hand and leads him into the back bedroom.

Not caring for any more wasted time, she pushes back him onto the bed.

He likes how she is taking charge of this situation.

Since she is a virgin, Motoko climbs on and straddles him just as Kitsune had suggested. The Fox told her that he is huge and it will definitely hurt when he takes her the first time.

However, she does not care right now if it does or not.

"I love you, my Keitaro-sama," says Motoko with her hand around his huge cock lining it up to her untouched well. Leaning down for her last kiss as a virgin, she looks into his rich brown eyes as the spongy tip touches her maidenhead.

"I love you too, Mo-chan. You don't have to force yourself," replies Keitaro. He will not ask her to stop because she would not anyway.

With another word or any preamble, Motoko impales herself and becomes one with her Keitaro-sama.

"By all the spirits!" she screams. Motoko has never experienced anything like this in her life. Although the initial pain is quite intense, she continues to push down on him.

Unlike Kitsune, she has no experience. Keitaro is very gentle with her and takes everything very slow until her discomfort subsides.

"Are you alright, Mo-chan?" he asks when she stops for a moment.

"Yes, my Keitaro-sama. I have never been happier," replies Motoko with a pained smile.

At first, it is difficult for her to believe that she is finally making love to her beloved Keitaro-sama. _She has dreamed about this since hitting puberty._

Keitaro allows Motoko to proceed at her own pace. He wants this time to be a memorable one for her.

When they climax, she feels a tremendous amount of his hot seed entering into her womb. Motoko will always treasure this time as her fondest memory.

Soon afterwards, she falls asleep in his arms.

Keitaro holds her very close and smiles at woman lying here with him.

Early the next morning…

Waking up, Motoko opens her eyes and smiles at her Keitaro-sama who is already wide-awake.

"Ohaiyo, Mo-chan. How do you feel? Are you sore at all?" asks Keitaro in a soft voice hoping that he did not hurt her too much.

Motoko moves a little gingerly as she feels very stretched down below with his seed still oozing from her pussy.

"Ohaiyo, my Keitaro-sama. I am just a little sore. What time is it, my love?" asks Motoko looking at her lover. Carefully, she gets out of bed and heads over to the bathroom.

"It's about six. I think Shinobu-chan will have breakfast ready for us soon. Would you like to take a quick dip in the lake with me before we eat, Mo-chan?" asks Keitaro.

Motoko closes the bathroom door behind her.

"I would love that, my Keitaro-sama," answers Motoko through the door.

When she finishes, Motoko comes back into the bedroom and sees the spot where she gave her gift to her Keitaro-sama. Only a minute amount of blood is in the mess that they made together. That sight also burns itself her memory as she smiles.

If she were not sore, Motoko would gladly make love to him again.

"Come on," says Keitaro sticking out his hand.

She takes it as he leads her outside.

After a quick morning skinny-dip, they dress and head back over to the Hinata hand-in-hand.

The rest of the morning…

While Keitaro goes to help Shinobu in the kitchen, Kitsune pumps Motoko for info. The Fox knows something must have happened because Motoko is not sitting down to talk and does not have a lot of time to find out why because she has to go to work.

However, before heading out she gives Keitaro a huge kiss in the kitchen in front of the two younger girls.

This causes Shinobu to blush and Kaolla to giggle at them.

Kitsune leaves and so there are just four of them here at the big table for breakfast.

"Why are you sitting on a cushion, Motoko?" asks Kaolla innocently. She does not know that her friend has just become a woman.

"I wish to be comfortable this morning, Kaolla-chan," answers Motoko. No way is she going to tell the young Princess about last night, at least not until she is a little older.

"Mo-chan, take the day off if you want to. I have little planned today since it is Sunday. Kaolla-chan, do you still want to fly that new mini Mecha-Tama that you had recently built after breakfast?" asks Keitaro. He is trying to divert Kaolla's attention away from Motoko right now.

Kaolla smiles and nods like a bobble-head doll.

"How about we do it after helping Shinobu-chan with the dishes?" asks Keitaro. He re-iterates the previous question because he wants to get the petite chef to be involved with this outdoor activity so Motoko can have her space for a while.

"Thank you, my Keitaro-sama," whispers Motoko smiling at him.

Motoko needs some time to time to get over being sore. She has to laugh about a few things from last night: never in her life did she ever think that she could scream as loudly as she had; almost passing out in the throes of passion; cumming heavily when it started to feel good and then sleeping in the same bed with her beloved Keitaro-sama.

'Spirits! He is so huge,' she thinks covering her mouth to suppress a laugh, 'but, soon I'll be able to take him anytime that he wants me.'

This knowledge makes her smile.

The last day of the month…

The day has been as full of work as any other has.

Early in the evening, Keitaro stands outside on the upper deck of the Hinata Sou. He faces the back of his property instead of the megalopolis that is Tokyo and its outskirts, as do most people. The work that he and the girls have accomplished is here.

Keitaro takes a lot of pride in what they have done so far.

"Are you coming in, Sempai? Its dinnertime," says Shinobu over the radio link.

Keitaro pulls the radio from his work belt and replies, "I'll be right down, Shinobu-chan."

He has just adjusted the new Satellite dish on the roof of the manse for his girls.

Picking up his toolbox, Keitaro heads down to wash up for dinner.

What new things will come in the next month of summer?

Only Karma knows…

End of Chapter


	5. New opportunities

The Hands of a Man  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's notes: This story now gets a little more involved with the OC characters, as I will now be introducing the first on many new residents.

Chapter 5: New opportunities

The start of August is one hellacious time around the old Hinata, especially temperature wise.

The first day of the month reads forty degrees on the digital thermometer that Kaolla installed at her Onii-chan's request near the communication's center. That is what they all call the radio and information boards now.

The Princess put a monitor in the comm center, as Keitaro wants it there so when he comes inside to check and update his lists, he will have something to tell him what the conditions are like outside. It helps him plan his day accordingly.

With heat as bad as this, Keitaro with help from Kaolla, Motoko and Shinobu, installs brand new A/C units all over the Hinata. The units are the new energy efficient wall-mount units that are prevalent all over Japan. The new A/C's go into all of the rooms as well as in his workshops, the kitchen and the common room. While Keitaro and Kaolla put them into place, Motoko and Shinobu hand them the parts and tools.

The upper floors of the Hinata can get stiflingly hot if there is no breeze blowing through it when the summer comes on in earnest.

'This new style of A/C unit should take care of this problem from now on,' Keitaro thinks right after the last unit is in place.

Kaolla lets him know that she can test the airflow in the upper reaches of the manse.

He wants to see if the place will be marginally cooler with just some minor changes to the building's structure.

However, Keitaro does not see any airflow vents up in the eaves as in most modern houses.

Going outside, he installs some cooling louvers just under the main peaks of the roof. Cutting holes for the grids into the building to mount everything, Keitaro does the task carefully as it does not take him very long. Topping this off, he places a remote control motor over the grids, which opens and closes them when the weather necessitates it.

It does not take long for the others notice a dramatic shift in the cooling of the old place afterwards, even without the A/C's on yet.

As a final touch, he puts a heavy-gauge steel wire mesh screen on the inside of each flap to keep out bugs, mice and squirrels. Especially those nasty giant wasps that seem to place their nests in the worst of places.

After the job is complete, the four sit down below in Keitaro's woodshop and enjoy some cold sweet tea with lemon courtesy of Shinobu.

Kaolla talks to Keitaro about using a small Mecha-Tama of hers to fly up into the rafters and attic to take some readings.

Keitaro believes that this is a good idea, because at his age he is too big to go through the upper reaches of the ancient structure. In addition, he is not about to have one of the girls' go up there either, it is too dangerous in the narrow rafters for them.

"Can you set the scanners of a Mecha-Tama to do a structural-analysis scan too, Kaolla-chan?" asks Keitaro, "I want to know if there are any weak spots up there."

He likes relying on the Princesses' genius in these situations.

"Sure Onii-chan," says Kaolla smiling back at him, "We just need to swap out one of the optical cameras for one that is set-up for tactical analysis. Then we just add in an infrared and ultra-violet wavelength scanner. I can set it up so we can control it with a laptop and an old game controller that I have lying around in my shop."

The Princess is now a lot more serious about everything since Keitaro has been asking her to help him with many of his projects. The other residents have noticed the positive changes in their young blonde bundle of energy.

"How long will it take you to get this process going, Kaolla-chan?" asks Keitaro seeing that she is taking his request very seriously.

Having been deep in thought, she finally looks up at him and answers, "If I grab the necessary parts, a handful of bananas and get right on it… How about right after lunch, Onii-chan."

"Perfect, I'll be waiting," says Keitaro.

He and the others then watch her run out the door.

After lunch, the Mecha-Tama that Kaolla modified is ready. Firing it up, she launches it to inspect the attic rafters as well as the roofing supports.

When the small robot has completed its tasks, Kaolla says that the scans show that even after many centuries, the home of his ancestors is still structurally sound.

Thanking Kaolla for helping him with this project, she hugs him just as Shinobu does.

An evening out with Naru…

Walking through the Shinjuku Ni-chōme district of Tokyo, Naru is with a group of young women on this particular evening. She, and the woman she is with, is part of a group of four lesbian couples who frequent this area. As often as possible, they try to get together and go out for a night of dinner, Karaoke and dancing.

The eight of them have known each other since elementary school and have always hung out. When they were all in junior high, these young women learned something about themselves, which is, that they only liked girls.

What strikes most onlookers is that these women are all absolutely gorgeous, they are dressed to kill and any of these eight could easily be idols or gravure models. It seems that none of them is afraid to express public displays of affection with each other. Plus, they sometimes get some very unwanted attention from the male half of the species, which has difficulty believing that such goddesses are of the 'yuri' persuasion and thus unavailable to them. _Oh well…_

The gorgeous young woman who has Naru draped on her arm is a tall silver-haired beauty by the name of Takayama Shizuru. She just happens to be her girlfriend. These two have known each other since elementary school and confessed to each other in junior high.

Her girlfriend Shizuru is a year older than Naru, and a student at Tokyo U.

Naru and her friends approach their first destination. It is a high-class bistro serving provincial French and Alsatian food. They sit down at a table in the place because it is getting close to dinnertime and they have reservations. The waiter hands the couples menus and waits upon them to take their order.

After dinner, they head over to the Karaoke place where Kina-san, their friend, booked a room for two hours. They all love to hear Naru sing.

On the way to their destination, Naru and Shizuru have a serious little talk.

"Are you sure that he can be trusted, Na-chan?" asks Shizuru.

This young woman is very leery of all men except for her Otō-san and Onii-san who accept her for who she is. She keeps her voice low so that only Naru can hear her.

"When I first met him, I had the same attitude as you, Shi-chan," says Naru, "I thought that he was just another example of your typical perverted male. However, he has proved me wrong in so many ways since I have known him. He took care of my eyes remember, and that is the reason I do not need those fucking glasses or contacts any more. Shit Shi-chan, his own cousin Haruka is 'yuri' just as we are and lives at the Hinata with her lover Tsuruko. Keitaro and Haruka are extremely close. She treats him like a son though she is only a few years older than he is. Plus, I've also heard that he has another close male relative who's openly gay and Kei-kun accepts him as well."

She is trying to convince Shizuru of Keitaro's worthiness as a friend amongst other things.

"So, Naru-chan. What you are telling me is that this Keitaro person has two openly gay cousins and accepts them without any reservations?" asks a skeptical Shizuru. The young woman with the long silver-tresses has a hard time believing what her girlfriend is telling her, even if he did get her eyes fixed.

"Yeah, as far as I know, Shi-chan. He has never once mentioned his cousin's relationship with her lover in a bad way. He's even adopting the woman and her Imouto-san into his family," says Naru as the group stops at a crosswalk.

"Why's that, Na-chan?" asks Shizuru looking at her girlfriend.

"It seems that Haruka's lover was disowned by her family for being a lesbian," answers Naru, "according to Keitaro, Tsuruko's former family has their collective asses still stuck in the fucking Tokugawa Period and it seems she was the only there to move into this century. She is an on-line stock trader and commodities broker with more of her own money than they have combined as far as I know. Also, she moved to Hinata City from Kyoto not too long ago, and when Keitaro found out what her family had done to her, he went totally ballistic on them." _She gets a bit excited and raises her voice slightly._

"Sounds interesting as I have heard how powerful the Urashima are," responds Shizuru.

"I'll tell you the rest later, sweetie," adds Naru ending her story abruptly.

The four couples enter the Karaoke place.

Later that night at Shizuru's apartment near Tokyo U, Naru gets comfortable with her girlfriend. They share a late night cup of tea to help them get sleepy. It was a fun night out for this couple with their friends as dinner, Karaoke and dancing went on until almost midnight.

"Na-chan, now that we're alone, will you please finish telling me about the owner of the Hinata. Then, I've got a question for you," says Shizuru opening a fresh box of Pocky™ for them to enjoy.

"Well, Shi-chan. Where was I? Oh yeah. Keitaro threatened the Aoyama family in Kyoto with expulsion from their lands if they did not act accordingly and behave themselves. You see, the Urashima own the property of Tsuruko's former family and as heir to his clan, he has the right to make demands of them now. They acquiesced very quickly because the Urashima are financially much stronger than they are and Keitaro takes no bullshit from anyone. He does have a selfish motive though, you see Tsuruko's Imouto-san Motoko is in love with him, and she was their only other remaining heir. Now, what do want to know?" asks Naru when she breathlessly finishes her story.

She takes a good sip of her tea.

"Na-chan, why are you telling me all of this?" asks Shizuru looking quizzically at her girlfriend across from the short table. She also wonders why Naru would tell her all this so openly.

"I love you very much, Shi-chan. More than anything in this world," answers Naru looking into her eyes, "I brought it up because I want you to live with me out at the Hinata."

"I love you too, Na-chan," replies Shizuru smiling at her confession, "even though my Otō-san owns this place, I would love nothing better than to be in rural setting with a nice lake to swim in along with a path to take romantic evening walks with you."

Naru smiles at her reply.

They lean over the table and share a kiss.

After finishing their tea, the two decide to call it a night and go to bed.

Climbing into Shizuru's king-size bed, the two women snuggle into each other.

One last little kiss later, the two join opposite hands and go to sleep.

A sad time for Motoko, but only for a moment…

It is never easy to say goodbye to anything in this world, especially when it is something that you used to hold dear, like your family or clan. When you are one of the heirs to that clan, it makes it all the worse sometimes.

Motoko finds a large box in storage that is perfect for putting anything Aoyama in it and shipping back it to Kyoto.

Telling her Ane-ue about sending everything back, she wants to give the Aoyama a message that she also rejects them as well, while accepting her new place amidst the Urashima.

Urashima Motoko is something that she is learning to get used to, as the formal adoption is still going through channels and the Prefecture bureaucracy. Smiling, she thinks that this would also look good on a marriage license someday.

Meeting alone in the Dojo the day before, the siblings discuss the rejection of their former family. There is nothing Aoyama that she wants anymore.

Tsuruko has already left all of her Aoyama possessions behind when she moved here to be with her Haru-chan.

Anything of consequence from them that was in her apartment, she had personally tossed into a garbage chute before moving up here.

Together, they load the Hakama, Gi and Bokken that Motoko had brought with her when she first moved to the Hinata two years ago. There is also the old Samurai armor too that has to be loaded up too.

Last of all and with much trepidation, she places her beloved Katana Shi-sui on the top of the pile of clothing. This will send a message of final rejection to her old life with them. _That ancient Katana meant a lot to her at one time, but now it has none for her._

Knowing that her Keitaro-sama and Ane-ue will take care of her, she smiles as they carry everything out the backdoor.

Therefore, when they load everything Aoyama into Keitaro's pick up, Motoko goes with her Keitaro-sama to the local parcel delivery service to have it all shipped back.

A few days later…

Tsuruko, who along with Haruka and Kitsune, take Motoko out clothes shopping for the day to cheer her up. With both money and energy to burn, the four women go power shopping at some of the finest boutiques, shops and stores in the upper scale sections of Tokyo.

Kitsune tells her friend that she should buy things to show off her luscious body.

Motoko turns bright red when she sees some of the intimate apparel the other three show her. Even her Ane-ue is getting into the spirit of finding sexy things for her to attract Keitaro's eye.

The older couple peruses some things that get some interesting comments from Kitsune.

Many of the anecdotes are quite rude, which turns Motoko face bright red and nearly pisses off Haruka.

Tsuruko, laughing hard, holds her girlfriend in place to keep the Urashima woman from kicking Kitsune's ass right here in the most expensive store in all of Tokyo.

Haruka is not angry really, she just gets a bit peeved when the Fox gets the best of her.

You would think that these four worked in a cathouse with some of the purchases that they make before going home.

Kitsune's birthday is coming up on the last day of the month, so she stopped and bought a new dress for 'knocking the socks off' a certain man. One of the things she has on her list for that day is to have a lot of sex with Keitaro, the rougher the better.

On a similar note, Motoko buys some sexy new outfits that the others assure her will 'rock his world' as well.

On a slightly different note, Keitaro has it in the works to restore the honor to both his and Haruka's Samurai lovers. He has something special in mind for Motoko as a Christmas present later this year.

Shortly afterwards, on a slightly different note…

Keitaro and Haruka take to training the girls in the Urashima Arts and self-defense in general.

Tsuruko also has taken up the new training regimen because now it takes up her former morning Katana practice. No longer wielding such a weapon, she wants to keep her luscious body in shape for her Haru-chan.

One thing that the sibling and the other residents learn quickly is that Keitaro takes training them in his families' Art extremely seriously.

The residents all sit on the floor and cling to all of his words:

"When Haruka and I are done training you in the Arts of the Urashima, no one will ever bully or molest you again. Shinobu-chan, even you will be able to take care of yourself against anyone as big as even me," says Keitaro looking evenly at the petite chef.

Smiling, Shinobu knows of a particular bully in her class who is giving her and her friends a lot of trouble this year.

They all pair up to go through the warm-up exercises and basics before getting into the more advanced hand-to-hand techniques.

Keitaro and Haruka pair up as the others wait for the older cousin to try and finally kick his ass.

If it was any other time the older cousin just might consider it, but she sees that he is in his serious mode, so it is not smart to screw around right now.

These two show the girls that there are times when you have to fight extremely dirty to win.

Unlike the Samurai and their Katana, the common person often only has their hands or maybe a few simple tools to save their life.

Keitaro brings out some common objects that they might have lying around, like a set of keys or a magazine and shows the girls all how to use them.

Then, he and Haruka give all of them a demonstration of wristlocks, chokeholds, finger grabs and bends, plus their counters.

Like sponges, the girls all absorb these things very quickly.

"This is like Karate, Aikido, Judo and Russian Systema all-in-one," says Kaolla who has seen demonstrations of all these Martial Arts in her native MolMol.

"Yes, the Urashima style incorporates many different sections of other Arts from around the world," says Haruka while demonstrating some ways to take someone down using Tsuruko as her partner, "We have never been afraid to add aspects of other Martial Arts into our own style. The Urashima way is not original by any stretch of the imagination. Our clan's Masters have always said that if there are better ways out there, don't be afraid to learn from them and then add whatever it is to our own they've said."

During one scenario, Keitaro plays a groper on a train and Shinobu is his victim. The petite chef puts him down as he had taught her and cries out in agony as a result.

"SON-OF-A-BITCH!" yells Keitaro.

The young girl puts him down rather easily on the floor of the Dojo.

The others all gasp before laughing and applauding for her.

Then, Shinobu stops because she thinks that he is in real pain.

"Yeah it hurt, minna," says Keitaro getting up and shaking his wrist, "It's supposed to hurt. Remember this, if someone were to ever throw a punch or make a grab at you, put that person down fast before the bad guy ever gets a chance to do anything else to you. Remember you're always in control."

Everyone in the room now likes the fact that they are no longer defenseless.

Then he adds, "Great job, Shinobu-chan. I really was in agony."

The girl smiles as he praises her, though she hated hurting her Senpai. _Look out school bullies._

Naru's Ki-loaded fist nearly destroys a heavy bag on the gym side.

"Girl, do you have any anger management issues right now, Naru?" asks Kitsune letting go of the bag because she is afraid to spot for her. Pieces of the heavy bag are lying scattered on the floor across from where the brunette is standing.

This also startles the others.

"Gomenasai, Kitsune-Senpai," says Naru sheepishly startling everyone there with her natural strength and stamina.

Smiling at the brunette's efforts, Keitaro has the girls' workout next on the machines in the other half of the Dojo.

Tsuruko, Haruka, Motoko and Kitsune are on stationary bikes.

Naru works out on a step machine.

Shinobu walks on one of the treadmills and Kaolla is running on another one.

The Princess also shows the others her strength and flexibility. This she does by doing some very difficult gymnastic moves and advanced yoga positions. Then with Haruka's consent, she shows them how to do the basic positions of the Indian exercise regimen.

When training is over for the day, Keitaro decides to loosen up a bit. He is pleased with how the training program is going.

Smiling, he gazes at all of the nice asses riding on the stationary bikes.

Haruka nearly smacks him silly when she catches him looking at Tsuruko's ass.

"Hey," hisses Haruka, "that's mine."

Keitaro lightens up quite a lot, since he sees that the girls take their training and workouts seriously.

Teasing his cousin as well, he knows how jealous she can be around Tsuruko.

The woman-in-question laughs because her lover is making such a ruckus of her possessiveness right now.

With that being the case, Motoko also gives him a dirty look, as she believes that he should be looking at her ass instead.

She is definitely going to give him an earful later.

Then allowing his mischievous side to come out, he reaches over and pinches Kitsune's ass just for the hell-of-it. His lover is leaning forward a little on her bike giving him a very easy target.

"Hentai," says the Fox lustily smiling and wiggling her ass back at her lover.

Something special…

Believing it to be the right time, Keitaro steps out of the modern side of the Dojo for a few moments.

The others see a strange sight on his face, a mischievous smile.

Returning in less than a minute, he has something special for two of the ladies present.

What really gets everyone's attention is when Keitaro presents brand new Bokken to Tsuruko and Motoko.

The surprise is total when he tells Tsuruko and Motoko about the legacy of great Samurai within the rich history the Urashima clan. He says that even though it is passé, he wants to restore that part of his families' legacy for their sake.

Throwing herself at her lover, Motoko thanks him personally with a very passionate kiss.

This act of Keitaro giving her a new Bokkan, one that Motoko can call her own, more than makes up when he was looking at her Ane-ue's ass.

This is only the beginning though…

Later that evening, Keitaro is standing by the large sliding glass door at the end of the Dojo looking out at the starry night. Motoko is standing beside her lover as the others have gone back over the Hinata.

"Anything bothering you, my Keitaro-sama?" she asks softly in the darkened room.

"No, Mo-chan," replies Keitaro to his young lover, "I'm just thinking about how far we've come together since your Onee-san and I have moved in."

"I'm glad to hear that, my Keitaro-sama," says Motoko.

Sliding the door open quietly, they step outside into the warm pleasant evening. Shutting the door behind them, Motoko sets the alarm before they go for a romantic stroll under the stars.

Coming to a small crest in the path, Keitaro stops and takes Motoko into his arms.

Willingly, she places her arms around his neck before leaning in to kiss the man she worships with her very being.

Never one to be shy, Keitaro runs his rough hands down the silky material of her Yukata.

Shivering with delight, Motoko gasps and then moans as his hands gently takes possession of her beautiful rear.

"Yes, my Keitaro-sama," she whispers breathily when the kiss breaks, "If you want me here, I am yours."

Upon hearing her words, Keitaro takes his right hand and brings it around to the front fold of her Yukata.

Moaning because of his touch, Motoko pants hard when he reaches her most sacred place and gently caresses her vulva.

"My Keitaro-sama," she cries when his large middle finger past her nest and hardened clitoris before penetrating her folds.

Feeling how wet she is, Keitaro pushes his digit in deeper causing her to cry out even more.

Since he has first taken her, they have made love a number of times since. With this in mind, she knows that only he can ever satisfy her when they have sex and, as with Kitsune, her pussy is too large for an ordinary man now. Even so, she will never allow another man to usurp the place of her beloved Keitaro-sama.

Then reciprocating in kind, Motoko releases him and in bringing her hands to the fly of his pants, undoes his zipper.

Understanding what she wants, Keitaro pulls his hand from where it was and licks it for a moment.

With Motoko pulling his large cock out of its confines, it becomes instantly erect in her hands.

Reaching down again to open the lower part of her Yukata, Motoko once again throws her arms around his neck.

Taking a good grasp of her ass, Keitaro picks his young lover up as she wraps her long legs around his waist.

As Keitaro guides the head into her pussy, Motoko says, "I love you, my Keitaro-sama," and feels him go deep to the door of her cervix in the first thrust. _With him fingering her, it lubricated everything very well when she came._

"YES!" she shrieks not caring if anyone can hear her.

Inside the Hinata onsen…

Kitsune hears the caterwauling and cheers them on.

Haruka and Tsuruko can only laugh.

Shinobu turns bright red while listen to the pleasured screams from out back.

Kaolla wishes that she were old enough to join in, but for once keep this thought to herself.

Later that night, Kitsune asks for equal time when all three are in his tent.

A few days later, as a certain trio enjoys some light moments in the Tea Shoppe…

"Good thing Kei-kun put this new A/C unit in or we'd be fucking roasting right now, Tsu-chan," says Haruka to her girlfriend from her office doorway.

Tsuruko is in the middle of short selling a stock.

"I agree, Haru-chan," replies the statuesque beauty not lifting her head from her laptop. Without shifting or moving her eyes, she grabs her coffee mug and takes quite a pull from it.

"Haruka-san, Mitsune-Senpai wants to know if the price of the new Oolong Tea went up or not. She has a customer who wants to buy a kilo for an upcoming garden ceremony," inquires Miko who is a new full-time employee.

"No, tell her it's still the same price, Miko-san," says Haruka favoring the girl with a smile, "All of the prices are in the sales book under the main counter."

"Ah, so we're smiling at the new girl now, Haru-chan," teases Tsuruko in a mock melodramatic fashion by putting the back of her wrist to her forehead, "I'm so jealous."

She loves doing this to Haruka.

"So what if I am, Tsu-chan," says Haruka giving it right back to her, "She is a looker you know, and almost as big-chested as Kitsune is."

"Yes, I know that Haru-chan," says Tsuruko who is not about to surrender to her girlfriend, "It's too bad she doesn't swing the way we do. Miko-chan would look mighty good in something sheer."

Haruka finally comes into her office and sits down. These two are known to get pretty nauseating when it comes to talking about how good looking some of the Tea Shoppe's employees are.

"You two are fucking disgusting," says Kitsune with bogus disdain as she also steps into the office and flops down into her usual place, "If these girls knew that you two were constantly drooling over them, they'd quit on you for sure."

Enjoying these impromptu bullshit sessions, Kitsune can get into the gutter with the best of them, and thinks some of them are cute as well.

"Not any more disgusting than you, Kitsune," says Haruka in mock revulsion, "Tsu-chan and I could hear Kei-kun fucking you by the lake last night when we were in the onsen. Must you always scream that loud?"

"Not any louder than when you two go sixty-nine and begin to 'lick the carpet' or 'scissor' each other," rejoins Kitsune while laughing, "One of these day's you might want to close your window Haruka, especially now that you two have moved up to the Hinata. You know that there are young impressionable girls up there and all that."

Saying that, she watches the other two turn bright red.

"Damn it, Kitsune. Isn't there any way to get under your skin?" asks Haruka getting very perturbed now, "Every time we get into one of the bullshit sessions, you make Tsu-chan and I look really bad. Shit, maybe I should tell Kei-kun to stay away from you for a month. How would you like that?"

She sees Kitsune cringe slightly at this threat.

Tsuruko starts to giggle.

Then they all see a sight that none of them had expected at this moment.

Standing in the doorway is Keitaro.

"Oh, talking about the help again are we, Haru-chan?" asks Keitaro mockingly in a very dry voice, which startles the other three.

Haruka and Kitsune nearly jump out of their skin.

"Son-of-a-bitch, Kei-kun. Quit sneaking around like that. One of these days I'm going to kick your fucking ass in the Dojo whether I love you or not," says Haruka rapid-fire as well as a bit miffed.

She knows that he has just busted her and Tsuruko for talking filthy about the other girls who work here again. Along with this, Haruka believes that he is probably getting even with her for busting his chops in the onsen a while back.

"I'm going to leave that alone for now, Haru-chan," says Keitaro flatly having gotten his dig in, "I need to see Kitsune for a few minutes and it isn't for sex either."

Kitsune looks a little disappointed.

Tsuruko just smiles.

"How long have you standing there, Kei-kun?" asks Haruka.

"Long enough to know that you should close your window at night when you 'chew the carpet', Haru-chan," says Keitaro with a smirk while waiting for the inevitable.

"You fucker," hollers Haruka before letting her paper fan fly knowing what will happen next.

Snagging it out of the air, he puts it into his back pocket like always.

"This thing is mine now," adds Keitaro triumphantly patting the fan.

He has not once missed catching one of Haruka's paper fans.

"Game, set and match, the winner and still champion is Kei-kun," says Kitsune as she and Tsuruko start laughing.

At first, Haruka turns bright red before starting to chuckle and then laughs herself to tears. Hugging him closely, she can never stay mad at Keitaro even if it is in jest.

Giving Haruka her fan back with a smile, he then places a light kiss on her forehead.

Kitsune then steps outside to see what he needs.

A new resident joins in…

Kameshiro Hana drives along the main road through Kanagawa Prefecture following the instructions in her e-mail. She had set her GPS before taking off to start her new life.

She is a both a floor and surgical nurse, who has just received a good position at the Hinata City Hospital so she could leave her past behind and begin anew. The position she left was a prestigious one at Tokyo University's Teaching Hospital.

However, after the break-up of her very short marriage to a useless piece of shit, leaving the big city is the best thing for her. Hana lived with her Tou-san after she signed her divorce decree. _He is a Metro Tokyo police official, who is a good man and extremely protective of his daughter._ Before leaving his house, Hana told him that she needs her space along with craving a fresh start.

Moving from the big city with all of its conveniences, Hana knows that her Tou-san is supportive of the decision she has made concerning her future.

Some of her history…

Hana is twenty-six, petite at one point five two centimeters tall and about forty-four kilos. The woman graduated with honors from Tokyo University and worked at its prestigious hospital as mentioned. Before she left there, Hana was on the fast track to become the youngest head nurse in that hospital's history when…

Going through a messy divorce because the man she had been married to used and abused her. He was sweet when they started dating, but shortly after their wedding, she saw his real side emerge and that is when the abuse started.

After almost a month of this, she left him and went home to her Tou-san. When he saw the bruises that his daughter had suffered, he severely beat her husband almost to death when he came and tried to force her to come home. The soon-to-be ex-husband did not dare say anything because her father is a cop and could have thrown him into prison.

"The back road to the Hinata House should be right around here," the woman says aloud, "There's the sign. Nice, a paved road even and freshly planted trees. Beautiful."

Turning onto the back entry road, she goes up the side to the back of the Hinata.

A big surprise awaits her as she sees all of the construction, building and clearing projects in progress on top of the hill. She drives by Keitaro's camp and sees the Dojo, the lake and all of the storage buildings before looking over to find the back of the Hinata.

Taken aback by the sight of seeing a young dark-skinned blonde teenager sitting in the seat of a front loading tractor with a backhoe as a well-tanned man stands in the raised scoop while hammering away on the large building, surprises Hana to no end.

"There's a visitor coming, Onii-chan," says the blonde to the man standing in the scoop.

Hana hears her clearly, as she looks for a place to park.

"Thanks, Kaolla-chan," says the man smiling softly to the girl in the tractor's seat, "Set me down please, I have some business to do."

"Okies, Onii-chan," the blonde says leaning out of the cab.

As Hana parks in a spot in the place marked for visitors, she steps out of her car and a giant of a man approaches her. He seems friendly enough in his own way if his interaction with the girl means anything.

The young foreign looking girl walks beside him with a huge smile on her face.

'Oh Kami, he is gorgeous,' thinks Hana who is trying to think clearly as Keitaro gets closer.

"I'm Kameshiro Hana," says the petite woman bowing to him, "I wrote to you on-line about leasing a room here. Please take good care of me."

Courteously, he returns the bow.

Standing back a little, Kaolla remains quiet and allows him take care of his business.

"Hana-san, I'm Urashima Keitaro the owner of the Hinata and its surrounding properties," says the handsome man who has a gentle manner and powerful looking hands, "This is Kaolla Su and she too is a resident here. Here, allow me help you with your bags."

It seems to her that he gets along with his residents by the way that this girl interacts with him.

"You look exactly like my friend Shinobu-chan, Hana-san," comments Kaolla, "The two of you could almost be twins."

She grabs a light bag to help Keitaro.

Her statement catches Hana by surprise.

"You must forgive Kaolla-chan," says Keitaro opening the backdoor of the Hinata with an access card, "She has a tendency to say whatever is on her mind."

Keitaro noticed the same thing, but kept any remarks to himself.

Hana dismisses the comment, but she will soon see what Kaolla said is true soon enough.

"Wow, this place is so beautiful," says Hana off the cuff after seeing the new kitchen and the entryway to the onsen.

Leading down the hall and past the main stairway, they stop at the comm center where he then sets her luggage down.

In the fully renovated Annex A, Keitaro takes her past some empty office spaces and into his new office at the end of the hallway. It has been in operation for about a week now. The other office spaces will receive their furniture in another weeks' time.

Sitting in a large comfortable chair, Hana watches while Keitaro and Kaolla get the paperwork going at their desks.

"We'll have the formal introductions later after everyone comes home, Hana-san," says Keitaro.

He gives her a quick dissertation on what to expect around the Hinata. This is before letting her know about the R/T network as he hands her a radio, then goes on about the safety features of the place, the new features that will be coming soon such as the indoor pool, the onsen, the Dojo and the lake. Moreover, Keitaro informs her about the free martial arts training that is available to all of the Hinata's residents.

Hana is very interested in this, and for very good reason to.

"Please call me Hana," she says with a smile, "We'll be bumping into each other every day, so I want to be treated just like everyone else."

Except for Haruka and Tsuruko, she will be the oldest resident living here now.

Keitaro appreciates Hana's forthright manner.

"Sure thing, Hana," says Keitaro before having her sign a lease to make things official, "We just need to take care of a few of the proprieties here first. Here's a pen."

This is when he then notices that his newest resident has quite a number of scars on her face and hands. Keitaro has to rein in his temper when he thinks that someone would dare lay a hand on this tiny slip of a woman.

Looking away for a moment to take a deep breath, the thought of that sickens him.

Releasing the deep breath, he says, "Dinner is at six-thirty. You now have total access to the grounds until then, Hana. Just be careful if you decide to go visit my shops or campsite."

Making a mental note, he want to investigate and see who would dare want to lay a hand on her in that manner. Keitaro now considers their life officially fucked.

Walking around the property, Hana likes the fact that the place is clean, well maintained, freshly painted and a hundred other things as well. This has been going through her mind after Keitaro showed her to her new room. All of these things are available to her as free extras for as little as she is paying in rent each month. It staggers her imagination.

_For the moment, she has no idea who her Kanrinin is, but Hana will soon learn how powerful of a man Keitaro truly is._

"By all of the gods," says Hana slightly startled but very pleased after seeing how magnificent and large her room is. It is big enough so she can have her own entertainment center in here.

Kaolla handed her an access card programmed for all of the common doors, including the one for the Dojo. She also received her parking permit that has a computer chip in it.

After settling in and putting her things away, Hana sits on the edge of her new bed. By the looks of it, Keitaro has spent quite a bit of Yen to furnish this room. She sees that there is absolutely no dust anywhere and that there is a notice saying that the Hinata is a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Now, with everything put away and her laptop setup, she feels like an official resident.

Taking a minute, she gives her Tou-san a call to tell him that she had arrived safely and that the place is beyond her wildest dreams.

Hana remembers that Keitaro is going to give her an official tour of the property and its amenities when he gets the opportunity to do so.

Now, she goes down to the common room and sees a petite girl with dark blue hair just like hers.

The blonde girl understated the fact that the young girl could be her twin.

Hana smiles at this.

"Kamashiro Hana, this is Maehara Shinobu," says Keitaro without honorifics while motioning for her to have a seat, "She is the chef of the Hinata and does the laundry too. If you have anything that needs to be done, we're here for you."

"Hello, Hana-san. It's nice to meet you," says Shinobu bowing courteously to her.

"We'll do the tour in a minute, Hana," announces Keitaro looking over at her.

Hana sees that he is conducting some business with the young girl.

"Senpai, did you say that we would be doubling the number of residents by the end of the month?" asks Shinobu.

"Actually, Shinobu-chan. I have to revise that some," says Keitaro matter-of-fact to the young girl, "With Hana-san here it should be by the end of this week. Just to let you know too, there will be three of the new residents coming by weeks' end. One will be my Imouto-chan; the next is the adopted daughter of my Tou-san's best friend and someone else that I have known since I was a child. The grocery order will need to be increased. I have already worked out the budget. Please, check your laptop when you go to the kitchen, it should all be in there. In addition, you should be the first to know that my Imouto-chan, whose name is Kanako, will be the new assistant manager around here. You two will be working closely together and she can be a little difficult sometimes because Kanako can also be a perfectionist when it comes to me. It seems she worships the ground that I walk on unfortunately."

The last part he says as a 'heads up' warning to Shinobu.

Shinobu does not react, because she is the same way when she is around her Senpai.

Which means the two should get on well with each other.

"Okay, Senpai," says Shinobu smiling in response before heading off to her kitchen to prepare dinner.

He will be back there to help her shortly after showing Hana around.

"This is wonderful," says Hana after the tour who likes it that the Hinata facilities are second-to-none. She also learns that Keitaro had a hand in doing all of the upgrade work with the help of his friends and the residents.

Hana likes it that he generously pays the residents here in cash if they help with the projects on the Hinata grounds.

Keitaro tells her that she can get in on the work if she wants to, as it is voluntary.

'Wow,' thinks Hana, 'instant part-time work and extra money, nice.'

Heading up to her new room again after Keitaro finishes, she takes a nap before dinner and her formal introduction to the others.

Hana's new life has begun.

New plans, starts and meeting of old acquaintances, pt.1…

Keitaro likes it that he is not sleeping alone any more, as his tent is beginning to get a bit crowded.

Kitsune practically moves in with him and shares his oversized outdoor cot. She has been getting quite a personal workout that almost leaves her a physical wreck in the morning, albeit with a huge smile on her face.

Motoko is sharing his opposite shoulder after saying that she has a right to her Keitaro-sama's bed.

The threesomes that they have would shock the others, as both women do their best to satisfy him.

The ash-haired Fox personally welcomed the Samurai out here to share their lover's bed if it makes their man happy.

Pleased that they get along the way they do, he is not about to brook any catfights from these two.

In addition, he laughs when he sees that his younger lover is paying a lot of attention to his older one when they are in bed. Motoko it seems is excellent student.

_We will get back to this later._

Keitaro stands in the middle of Obaa-san's old office. He makes some mental notes about the changes he wishes to make in here. The place definitely needs to be bigger and upgraded if it is to accommodate more people than just him.

Therefore, he decides to start in September right after school starts up again and Hana is at work. Kitsune will also be at work down in the Tea Shoppe along with Haruka and Tsuruko, so this will leave him alone to knock out the wall between his and the Fox's old room.

Kitsune's room is practically empty anyway since she is now out at the camp. He can say same thing about Motoko who has most of her things in his tent as well. Nevertheless, even this is going to change very shortly.

Now with this thought out, he plans on taking up permanent residence in the fall after closing out his camp.

Making a couple of calls, he then heads outside to help Kaolla mow the back property.

New plans, starts and meeting of old acquaintances, pt.2…

Later in the day, Keitaro is standing by his truck in the Hinata's parking lot. Surrounded by the tenants, except for Hana who is at work, Keitaro and the girls have just finished a project together when they see a brand new sedan followed by a white panel van come into view.

This white van is virtually intact as it now lacks any damage.

'Ah, Maria strikes again,' thinks Keitaro amused by this.

The two vehicles pull into a couple of parking spots next to Tsuruko's sedan.

The five residents standing all get an eyeful of the two newest residents as they step out of their respective vehicles'.

The first one is a blonde westerner. She is wearing a pair of cut-offs that show off her luscious legs, a short-sleeve peasant-style top that covers a set of tits that are larger than Kitsune's own considerable asset and on her feet is a pair of summer platforms that make her slightly taller than Motoko.

Naru is almost drooling at the sight of her.

Seta Noriyasu, steps out of the driver's side and sees that his daughter has finished unloading her gear.

"Konnichiwa, Onii-chan," says a dark-haired young woman stepping out of the sedan favoring Keitaro with a very pleasant smile.

This other new woman is a dark beauty dressed in very subdued colors.

The resident see her as someone who will very formidable person to deal with in the not to near future.

Having just gotten over the Goth phase of her life, she is hard on trying to fit in more with 'regular' people. Nevertheless, a cool fire still burns very hot inside of her.

"Minna-san, this is my Imouto-chan Urashima Kanako and a good friend our family, Sarah MacDougal. I said her name that way, since she is an American by birth. They're both going to be living with us and are now co-eds at Tokyo U," announces Keitaro.

"Tou-san, how are you?" asks Keitaro before saying, "Konnichiwa, Seta-Kyōju. I see that Maria-san finally has you now driving properly."

Greeting both men, Keitaro bows and then their shakes hands.

"How are you doing, Kei-kun?" asks the amiable and lanky Kyōju, "Maria-chan has told me that if I wreck one more van, she'll put me in the hospital herself."

Laughing at his statement, he knows that Maria loves her husband very much, but she will not hesitate to kick his ass if he does not watch it. It is bad enough that the van he drives and their SUV at home are in her name. Only she is can drive their SUV. _His driving skills have vastly improved since he married her._

"Son, I've got to say that I'm proud of what you've accomplished here on the Hill so far," says the elder Urashima popping open the trunk of his car.

Smiling at her Onii-chan when he comes over, Kanako helps him as they unload her possessions. It seems that a familiar feeling returns to the twenty-year old when her hand brushes up against his. Neither of them will speak about it for now.

Keitaro sees that there is even a few of his things in the car as well.

"Arigato gozaimasu, Tou-san," says Keitaro reaching in and pulling some of Kanako's suitcases out of the backseat.

Kuro-neko, Kanako's long-tailed black cat, comes out of the front seat where she was and pads up his arm before settling on Keitaro's shoulder. The cat then rubs it face against his.

"Hello, Kuro-neko," says Keitaro reaching up and gently caressing the cat's chin before it jumps over to Kanako's shoulder.

Sarah then walks over to meet Kaolla and Shinobu.

Neither of Keitaro's two girlfriends see the gaijin as a future threat because she is hardly acknowledging his presence.

However, the blonde is wearing a pair of cut-offs that show off her luscious legs, a short-sleeve peasant style top that covers a set of tits that are much larger than Kitsune's and has on summer clogs that makes her slightly taller than Motoko.

In the English measuring system, the eighteen-year-old Sarah is five-six, one-hundred fifteen pounds and her measurements are forty-G, twenty-three, and thirty-four. She looks like she could grace the pages of a men's magazine or maybe a Tokyo based gravure magazine instead of the cover of an up and coming artist tome. This gorgeous, well-built young woman has the reputation of being one of the best teenage artists in all of Asia. She is a first year Art and Architecture major at Toudai.

The other young woman is Keitaro's adopted Imouto-chan Kanako and is much different from the other young woman. She is lithe and slender with a gymnasts build, and her long hair is even blacker than Motoko's. It is tied together a short way from the end with a purple ribbon that was a gift from Keitaro. She is a third year Business Major at Toudai.

Despite her calm and even slightly cool demeanor, she is fighting hard not to jump on her beloved Onii-chan and kiss the heck out of him. When they are alone, she will then greet him appropriately.

With that said, the others will soon learn that Kanako worships the ground that her Onii-chan walks on and is extremely close to him. Eyeing the two women now trying to take possession of Keitaro's arms, she makes note of it while he is talking to their Tou-san.

Ever since her adoption into the Urashima, Keitaro has always kept in touch with her, more so than even with Haruka. He spoils her rotten when he can. (When she was eight-years-old, a thirteen-year-old Keitaro built her a castle playhouse of her own out of scrap wood and broken roofing tile in their backyard. It still stands to this day.)

Soon, they will all see how intense her love for him is.

Keitaro too plays it very cool, because there is something inside of him that comes alive when she is in his presence.

With everyone's help, the bring Kanako and Sarah's possessions into the Hinata so they can be checked in.

Introductions…

"Minna-san, this is my Imouto-chan Urashima Kanako and Sarah McDougall. I said her name that way since she is an American by birth. They're both going to be living with us and are attending Tokyo U," announces Keitaro.

Naru gives Sarah a knowing smile.

Surprising the brunette, the blonde beauty returns it.

Kitsune and Motoko both give Kanako something different. Nevertheless, they will hold their judgement on her since she is Keitaro's Imouto-chan, and someone very close to him.

Afterwards…

Inside, Kanako gets a firsthand look at how her precious Onii-chan operates the old manse. She love how modern everything looks in his office now and even has a chance to try out her new chair.

Ken and Noriyasu go out on their own tour of the renovated Hinata Hill.

With everyone present but the two older men, he conducts the formal introductions in an air of cordiality and tranquility.

Sarah and Kaolla gab together on the side with Shinobu, as both girls love the American's long blonde hair.

After a stutter start, Motoko and Kanako re-acquaint themselves, as the former Aoyama receives an informal welcome into the family.

After the tour that he and Noriyasu took around the outside of the property, the petite chef shows the two her kitchen.

Even though he runs a business empire with his formidable Kaa-san, Ken's own expertise in the bakery and confectionary fields helps him to appreciate what his son has already accomplished in here.

"Keitaro, that kitchen," he says to Keitaro, "the place is just fantastic."

Keitaro smiles.

"Kaa-san will love it," he adds looking into the walk-in fridge.

Besides getting a tour of the place, a radio and an access card the two new residents, along with their Tou-sans' sit down to a masterpiece dinner.

Finishing her shift, Hana come in and joins the others for dinner.

Meeting the other new resident for the first time, Sarah makes the obvious comment about the nurse and the petite chef almost looking like twins.

End of Chapter


	6. A funny thing happened…

The Hands of a Man  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Chapter 6: A funny thing happened…

Tsuruko has been working on her accounts down in the Tea Shoppe when she decides to shut off her laptop for the day. She also went over her lover's books since she had some time as well. Haruka is glad the hired Tsuruko as her personal accountant.

Heading up the main stone steps for some unknown reason, Tsuruko wants to work out in the Dojo and then enjoy a soak in the onsen with her Haru-chan after dinner. The stairwell to the old scullery is shorter, but something tells her to go the long way right now.

She has been thinking about her friend Shippu, as a memory brings tears to her beautiful eyes. When she went into exile from Kyoto, she set the crane free and wept openly when he flew off. There was never a more loyal companion and friend than that regal bird. She hopes that he is still well and soaring in the sky somewhere as majestically as ever.

Since the weather is perfect and the temperature is a comfortable twenty-five degrees Celsius right now, Tsuruko has a pleasant climb up to the Hinata.

After reaching the top step, she looks over by the rose bushes and split-rail fence to see a pure white crane resting on a post. Tsuruko approaches the bird and begins to smile when she recognizes her Shippu.

Tears of joy begin to stream down her face as she goes over and hugs the large bird. Shippu acknowledges his mistress by resting his head and neck on her shoulder. Somehow, as if by instinct alone, it seems that Shippu always knows where his mistress is at all times.

Shortly afterwards, Keitaro is introduced to the crane and the bird does not snap at him. This surprises Tsuruko because Shippu has a habit of snapping his beak at strangers. At first though, he nipped Haruka a few times, but not at Motoko after she said hello to her old friend.

Keitaro then makes a dozen stands for him that Tsuruko can place all over the environs of Hinata Hill so Shippu can be comfortable.

Tsuruko now has another reason to smile.

After dinner in Keitaro's woodshop…

Naru has been wondering how she is going to approach Keitaro to talk about the subject of Shizuru moving in with her. Even though she knows that Keitaro is open to just about anything, she is still a little hesitant. Since talking with her girlfriend, the brunette teen wants Shizuru to live out here. She believes that her silver-haired lover will enjoy it here on Hinata Hill and find that Kei-kun is a different type of male.

"Konbanwa, Naru-chan," says Keitaro quietly. He has just taken a piece of wood out of his lathe.

"Gomen, Kei-kun. I hope I wasn't disturbing you?" asks Naru standing in the open doorway of his wood shop. She sees him working on something and almost walks away.

"Come on in, Naru-chan. I am finished here for now. Have a seat, I'll be right with you," says Keitaro putting the wooden newel down.

She does so and finds a stool by his workbench, then waits expectantly for him.

He looks up and sits on a short stool next to her.

"So, what's on your mind, Naru-chan?" says Keitaro putting the heels of his work boots into the runnels of the stool.

"Kei-kun, I need to confess something to you and I hope you aren't too surprised," says Naru blushing and turning away from him.

"You're gay and you want her to live with you," Keitaro says right out-of-the-blue.

Naru turns her head suddenly towards him with her mouth wide open. "How did you know?" she asks after getting over her initial shock.

"You need to use the earpiece for your cell phone and talk a little softer, Naru-chan. I was working in Obaa-san's old room last night when I heard the conversation you had with Shizuru, yeah, that was her name. You made a very good sales pitch to have your girlfriend come here and stay for a visit," says Keitaro watching his friend cringe slightly. "Oh, and just to let you know also, I already knew that you're gay and that you wanted her to live here with you. It's okay with me," adds Keitaro without preamble stunning Naru with his frankness, brevity and acceptance.

"You mean it, Kei-kun?" asks a gob-smacked Naru. She has tears of happiness forming in her eyes.

"Of course, Naru-chan. I thought that you would realize by now that I am not a 'bullshitter'," says Keitaro, "how about this, invite Shizuru over for the three days of the O-Bon Festival next week so she can meet everyone. We can give her a tour of the place and allow her to use the facilities here. She can even stay with you in your room if you want. It will give her a chance to see the place for herself and allow you two get used to living together." He thinks that Naru having a companion here will be good for her.

"That would be great, Kei-kun," she says perking up as they share a hug. She then stands and says goodnight to him.

He smiles at her as she heads out and goes back to work.

'I should've realized who I was dealing with,' thinks Naru walking back upstairs to her room. It still amazes her at how fast he catches on to everything, as she goes to call Shizuru and tell her the good news.

Before this night finally ends, Keitaro takes off his tool belt and work apron hanging both on a hook by the entrance. He runs his hand through his hair thinking that a swim in the cool lake waters will be good for soothing him from this long day. Happy with what he has accomplished today, Keitaro takes a cold beer from the small fridge next to his desk and heads out after popping the lid.

He sees his friend sitting quietly outside the old storage area door and says, "If I knew you liked beer, I'd have brought you one."

The other says nothing as the two walk quietly to his camp.

Keitaro takes off his shirt and says goodnight to his friend as they disappear off into the woods.

'It always seems to know when their presence is most welcome,' thinks Keitaro as he strips down to his boxers. Like this, he heads off to the lake a short distance away. Keitaro skinnies off his boxers by the cabin and runs naked into the cool waters. It is nice to feel like a kid again as he dives into the cold crystal-clear water.

Unfortunately, his two bedmates will not be out later.

The stars are out and the partial moon shines brightly in the sky. Keitaro looks up to the heavens as he enjoys the view from his lake on the Hill. Keitaro, although he is by himself right now, enjoys listening to the crickets and frogs in the background along with the falls cascading and tinkling into the water of the lake behind him.

He smiles while perusing the wonders that Hina Obaa-san had willed to him in the natural light of a late evening sky.

As time passes, Keitaro finds that there are fewer opportunities that he can have this to himself.

Diving underwater, Keitaro swims over to the falls and allows the fresh water to run over his tired body. It seems that something deep inside of him always keeps him pushing forward. Whatever it is, he cannot seem to rest on his laurels and enjoy that which he has already built up with his own two hands. For some reason, his horizons are always on the next project, or making something that betters someone else's life. Even if it is at the expense of his own happiness. He rues that he has lost so much, granting his accomplishments are many. A last thought before he puts this stream of consciousness aside, he longs to change the events in his life, so that he may actually begin to enjoy what he has built with his own two hands.

_If Karma has its way…_

A case of mistaken identity…

In a brand new car, twenty-four year-old Otohime Mutsumi drives away from her old apartment building. It was not much to look at, but it served its purpose.

Getting on the main highway, she crosses into Kanagawa Prefecture and drives through Yokohama. The morning commute traffic is quite horrendous as always.

On the seat next to her, she has a little transport cage with a pet sitting in it. Mutsumi hears the contented myus coming from her sleeping companion as she drive past Hakone. Smiling, she seems to light up what is an already sun-filled day.

She has some news for the man she is going to see, news that could be a life changing event for the both of them.

In another part of the metro area…

Hasagawa Mio leaves her family and twin sister Mei behind to move to the quiet and tranquility outside the main cities.

Her sister Mei moved in with her boyfriend instead of moving out to the countryside with her because the younger twin likes the city and its trappings.

Unlike her twin, Mio likes things that are different and situations that challenge her. Though she likes it quieter than most, this twenty year-old second year Tokyo U student has an adventurous streak to go along other certain appetites that she enjoys indulging in.

Mio missed the traffic that Mutsumi was stuck in because she took the roads that go around Tokyo and Yokohama. In her BMW™ roadster, she makes excellent time to Kanagawa Prefecture. The truck with her belongings will only be a little while behind her. She gave the movers directions to the Hinata's back road.

Simultaneously, the two women end up on the same off ramp that comes into Hinata City and see the paved road that goes up the back way to the Hinata. Following each other up to the top of the hill, they see the path that goes past all of the outbuildings.

Both are amazed as they head into the lot and park next to each other.

Getting out of their cars together, one looks over at the other slightly surprised.

"I thought you were moving in with Matsuo-kun, Mei-chan?" asks Mio thinking that Mutsumi is her twin sister.

"Gomenasai, but my name is Otohime Mutsumi. It seems that we look alike, don't we?" answers Mutsumi with one of her patented sunny smiles.

"Oops! Oh, wow! You look exactly like my twin sister and me. My name's Hasagawa Mio, please take care of me," responds Mio and bows politely. She quickly notices the sunny smile and much bigger bust of the other woman standing here with her. Much different from her younger twin.

"Ohaiyo, I'm Urashima Kanako," she says greeting them pleasantly with a bow, "My Onii-chan cannot be here to greet you himself, so as his assistant, he asked me to help you with everything. It is nice to see you again, Mutsumi-Senpai."

Kanako instantly notices that these two look alike in many ways. Except for the obvious of course.

"My, my Kana-chan you certainly have grown up into a beautiful young woman. It's so nice to see you again," says Mutsumi who characteristically for her at least, gives the younger woman a big hug and kiss on the lips.

This throws the normally stoic Kanako off as their lips meet. Besides loving and worshipping her Onii-chan, Kanako also likes women and has always admired Mutsumi. She would love to spend the night with this Okinawan beauty.

Mio giggles and enjoys watching the other two women go at it.

"Mutsumi-Senpai!" says a surprised Kanako trying to catch her breath. Feeling Mutsumi's huge breasts pressed into hers as well as a second kiss causes her to turn bright red.

"Nice greeting," comments Mio now laughing at the two.

"See me later, Kana-chan," whispers Mutsumi as she lets go of Kanako. Even with that smile, she seems quite unflappable otherwise.

Kanako blinks a couple of times, licks her lips and clears her throat.

With some decorum re-established, the three go inside the Hinata and over to Keitaro's office.

At a desk, which is next to her Onii-chan's, they sit and begin to conduct business. She has the two women sign leases, and after this, Kanako hands them each their own radios and access cards for the two main buildings.

The two receive their parking permits for the parking lot outside. Kanako tells them that Keitaro and Kaolla designed the permits to allow access to the lot after dark so it does not set off the alarms.

Lastly, she informs them that the blonde Princess is now the main IT person for the Hinata. If they need her services, Kaolla has posted her email dress out on Keitaro's board.

Before Kanako can give them a tour around of the grounds, Keitaro walks into his office. It seems that Karma has intervened itself at the right time for him.

"KEI-KUN!" exclaims Mutsumi. She jumps on him and plants a very sloppy French kiss onto his mouth.

Happily, he returns her kiss.

'Oh my, Kami. He's gorgeous,' thinks Mio.

As with Kanako, she is stunned to see this perfect specimen of a man walk in to the office and getting love mugged by the other new resident.

"Get off my Onii-chan, Mutsumi-Senpai. At least let him breathe. Come on now," says a whiny Kanako. Catching her off guard a second time, she is envious of the older woman's boldness.

"Mutsumi-chan, please slow down. Shit, stop that," says Keitaro trying not to laugh. She nibbles and licks his ear. He does not want to get hard right now so he gently pushes her off and sets her feet back on the ground.

These two have a very special relationship, and very soon, he will find out just how special it is.

"Gomenasai, Mio-san. It's just that I haven't seen Mutsumi-chan here in quite a while," says Keitaro to the other new resident. He notices how much the two look alike.

"I see that, and please call me Mio," she says smiling.

He nods to her and says, "Just call me Keitaro. I don't stand on ceremony here in my home."

"Excuse me Onii-chan, can we get back to business here?" says Kanako still a little non-plussed. She wants to finish up with business because she is having a lot difficulty in maintaining her control. In addition, Mutsumi's proposition has her interest.

"You're right, Kana-chan," says Keitaro. After reluctantly letting Mutsumi go, he sits in his chair.

She flashes him her sunniest smile yet.

Kanako informs her Onii-chan of what she has done so far in welcoming the new boarders. She tells him that they have signed their leases and their names are now in the Hinata database. All that he has to do now is to assign them their rooms and give them a tour of the facilities.

"Kaolla-chan can tell them about the Wi-Fi and security features here later, Onii-chan," says Kanako as she wraps things up.

"Oh, and before I forget, Kei-kun. I brought you a gift," says Mutsumi. She gets up and quickly runs out of the office.

The other three do not hear the back door slide open and close, as there is silence for a moment, before the backdoor re-opens and closes again. Those in the office have slightly puzzled looks on their faces.

Breathless, Mutsumi comes back slightly out of breath with another of those patented smiles. It lights up an already brightly lit room.

Keitaro knows that from his own experiences with Mutsumi, anyone can expect anything from her at any time. He loves her spontaneity and joy of life.

Mutsumi has a small metal box in her hand, which has some holes on the outside, and looks padded on the inside. She gives the box to Keitaro.

Being curious, he opens it and waits to see what happens.

The other two have their interest peaked as well.

Inside the box, a small turtle with oversized front flippers scampers to the edge of the box. Seeing Keitaro, it salutes him with a big smile on its face.

What happens next really astounds the shit out of the other three occupants of the office. The turtle jumps out of its box and begins to fly around the room. It happily dives and swoops, doing loops and Immelmanns before settling into just doing laps around the ceiling.

"Tama-chan, please land and meet your new Kanrinin," says Mutsumi. Without fanfare, the turtle lands on Mutsumi's head and salutes Keitaro again with another sunny smile. Just like her mistress.

Keitaro smiles and laughs a little. It is not every day that someone presents you with the gift of a flying turtle.

"Hello, Tama-chan," he says reaching out to gently shake the proffered flipper of the turtle.

"Myu, myu," says Tama from her perch.

"Tama-chan says 'hello'," says Mutsumi smiling.

Now that the shock of a flying turtle has worn off, Mutsumi answers questions about Tama the Hot Springs Turtle. She does not know why Tama can fly. To her Tama is very special and had assumed that everyone could understand the shelled reptile.

Keitaro and Kanako just shrug, and think, 'Typical'.

'I don't want to know,' thinks Mio snickering and looking at the other three.

O-Bon Festival time…

The day before the festival starts, all of the residence go shopping for new Yukatas, Tabis and Getas.

Haruka, Tsuruko and Mutsumi load the others into their cars and head out to do some power shopping at the upper scale stores in Tokyo and Yokohama

Feeling extremely generous, Keitaro hands his older cousin a big handful of Yen before heading out.

Upon arrival at their first destination, Kitsune makes some very rude comments about whether she will go traditional or not. There is a remark about not wearing anything underneath to give Keitaro access to her anytime he wants during the festival. Other remarks are even ruder.

Blushing fiercely, Motoko tries to get her Senpai to behave a little. The Fox is getting to be a bit much for her.

Mio giggles while learning that Kitsune can be very imaginative with her language.

"Kitsune, watch it. Remember, we're in public," says Haruka keeping her voice low. Even she blushes at some of the things her friend has been saying.

Shinobu turns bright red thinking about this, because puberty is still hitting her very hard.

Kaolla and Sarah just giggle.

Sarah gets shit from the Fox about her huge boobs bouncing around underneath a Yukata without any support.

"Hey, Kitsune. Are you jealous of my boobs?" asks Sarah without using an honorific. The busty American takes pride in her most noticeable asset.

Even though the ashen-haired beauty has large tits, Sarah gets the better of her here. Kitsune decides to leave this one alone because she is learning fast that boob jokes do not work on someone who is very proud of her luscious body.

Mutsumi smiles at Sarah, she knows that her tits are almost as big as the blonde-haired American's is. It does not bother her if Keitaro notices them bouncing around underneath her Yukata.

"Let's leave it alone for now, minna," says Kanako in a low even tone. She wants to bring back some propriety because people are beginning to stare at them.

This quells the rude comments for now, at least until they get home that is.

Quietly, Naru has been enjoying the sight of her roomies large breasts off to the side as she looks through the aisles. She knows that her Shizuru is coming tomorrow for a stay at the Hinata, so she wants to look extra special for her. She lets Tsuruko in on her secret and the older woman is happy to help the brunette look great for her lover.

Then they all go dress and lingerie shopping before stopping for lunch.

Also…

Keitaro recently had the Urashima Shrine restored to its former glory. After finishing it, he had a local Shinto priest come up and bless the place as well as lay sutras on it to keep away any evil spirits.

After the dedication, the Urashima placed an urn with Yoko's ashes in a burial vault nearby. Interring her remains into the rebuilt shrine was her last wish. Urashima Ken brought his beloved Onee-chan's remains there and Haruka placed her Okā-san's remains in the vault herself.

Hina Obaa-san returned to the Hinata for this special time of year. She is in awe of all the improvements and additions that Keitaro made to their ancestral home. She also meets the new residents and even gives her blessing to the relationship between Haruka and Tsuruko. This puts to rest all of the anxiety that her elder grandchild had towards what she thought about her being a lesbian.

Obaa-san's sister, Nagisa Ōoba-san, has come to the Hinata with her son Reiji from Kyoto. Now that Keitaro is the heir of the Urashima, the youngest of Hina's sisters feels that she can walk proud among the clan again. She loves her son and accepts the fact that he is gay.

Nagisa also loves Ken and his family along with Haruka for accepting her son's way of life. Reiji was born when Nagisa was in her forties just before her beloved husband died. The man is the same age as Haruka and the two are very good friends. Four years ago at a clan meeting, some of the other young men in the family were picking on Reiji. Keitaro backhanded the oldest who swore to get even with Keitaro.

"Take one step towards me and your Kaa-san will be grieving for you tonight," says Keitaro in an icy tone, "I take no bullshit from anyone, least of all from my own family. At least Reiji-kun here isn't all smoke and no flame".

Family members who were there that day remember how he put the bullies in their place. That is when Keitaro stood out as being the strongest of the Urashima, just as many of his ancestors were. Even the ones who were the bullies in the clan have come to realize this and have given their cousin grudging respect for standing up to them.

So on we go…

Riding her motorcycle from her apartment in Tokyo, Takayama Shizuru heads towards Hinata City. She wants to see her beloved Naru-chan and join her for the start of the O-Bon festival.

Roaring quickly down the highway, she is wearing tight jeans and a leather jacket over her tee shirt. From under her helmet, long silver tresses blow in the wind, Shizuru gets many looks from the men she passes by on the highway. She ignores them all. No matter how handsome they are or what some of them are driving, she only has one person on her mind and that is her Naru-chan. This goddess on wheels wants only her brunette lover and this drives her on towards the Hinata.

For her stay at the Hinata, Shizuru loaded the saddlebags draping her bike with what she needs. That, along with a small soft-sided suitcase she strapped to the seat behind her. She travels light when riding her bike.

Seeing the signs for Hinata City near Hakone, she smiles and turns off the main high and onto the road that now leads along the coast of the Izu Peninsula. Soon she spies the back entrance to the Hinata and the place where her Naru-chan is.

When her bike reaches the top, she stops for a moment to take in the beautiful view from up on this part of the hill.

She sees the facilities and marvels at how one man can get things done like this.

'Maybe Naru-chan is right about him,' she thinks while heading towards the parking lot.

'Shi-chan!" screams Naru excitedly. She runs outside and greets her girlfriend.

"Hi, Na-chan," says Shizuru as she takes her helmet off. Putting the kickstand down, the silver-haired beauty shuts the machine off smiles as her brunette lover reaches her. Getting off her bike, Shizuru receives a French kiss from Naru as they hold each other.

After taking a few more minutes to greet each other, Naru takes Shizuru's hand and leads her inside the Hinata.

Standing by the door of the kitchen is a rather large man dressed like a Samurai. He is talking to a petite young girl dressed in a beautiful Yukata about something that she cannot hear.

Shizuru takes off her boots and if she were straight, she would like what she sees.

Seeing the two come in, he finishes with Shinobu and approaches them.

"Sorry about this get-up, you two. It seems that as heir of the Urashima clan, my family wants me to look like a Samurai reject from a Kurosawa movie," says Keitaro matter-of-fact. He has Naru and Shizuru follow him to his office.

They giggle.

So far, Naru is right about him thinks Shizuru as they sit together across from him.

"I see you made it okay, Shizuru-san," says Keitaro politely.

This impresses the silver-haired woman greatly.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here with us. Naru's room should be big enough to accommodate the both of you tonight. And, you can call me Keitaro if you want," he continues with minimal fanfare.

These comments impress her as well. Though he smiles, she can tell that he is uncomfortable wearing traditional Japanese clothing. His huge calloused hands and deep tan gave her the clue that this man is happier outside working on his property than acting as heir to an important and powerful family. She knows all about the Urashima. Just by his looks alone and in the way that he carries himself, she sees that he carries no airs.

Nevertheless, she has three days to make a full assessment for herself.

"Arigato, Keitaro. Onegai, call me Shizuru. Naru-chan has told me a lot about you and I wanted to see for myself if you are the way that she had described," responds Shizuru just as directly. She is still leery of all men except for two.

"I will make no bones about who I am or what I expect," he responds, "As I tell everyone, I hate bullshit and like to deal with people straight up. I do not know what you expect from me, but let me tell you this before you ask. I do not care if you and Naru-chan are lovers, and I do not care if you two have sex in your room. Shit, you should hear Haruka and Tsu Nee-chan go at it every night. In addition, they have been a Yuri couple since they were in their teens. All I care is that Naru-chan is happy and that you take good care of her. Hell, she deserves it. If you decide to stay here on a permanent basis, you will find out that we have straight, bi-sexual and lesbian women living here at the Hinata. In addition, staying here is my Otō-san's youngest cousin Reiji. He is very open about being gay. Even though this is an out-of–date term, I have named him Hatimoto and my senior advisor in all things. He is also a good friend who accepts me for being straight. Sorry if I rambled on a bit, but like I said, I hate bullshit."

He unexpectedly tells Shizuru things that she did not been expect to hear.

"I told you he doesn't fuck around, Shi-chan," says Naru looking at her slightly stunned girlfriend.

"Whoa! You couldn't have been any clearer if you had tried, Keitaro," says Shizuru, "I guess honesty is still alive today. I like it when someone tells me how it is."

"Believe me, Shi-chan. You never want to be on his bad side. It can be very scary," says Naru with a straight face.

"Bullshit, Naru-chan. I caught you this time," says Keitaro watching Naru laugh after seeing Shizuru cringe.

"I'm busted. It's that your humor is so dry and sharp that someone has to make you smile," says Naru snickering. She is trying her best to tease Keitaro.

"Caught you again, Naru-chan. You know better than that," responds Keitaro dryly. This causes the brunette teen to laugh even louder. Naru leans into her slightly incredulous lover and takes her hand.

It stuns Shizuru at how easily her girlfriend is having fun with this man. He is mild in his retorts and teases her back without being mean. This situation disturbs many of her preconceptions that she has about men. It seems that her Naru-chan is comfortable around him and he treats her with a lot of respect.

"Shizuru, how do you put up with her?" asks Keitaro tongue-in-cheek to the silver-haired woman sitting across from him.

Shizuru has a big smile break out on her face.

She is about to answer when Naru says, "hey!"

All three laugh as Naru turns bright red.

The formal introductions make Shizuru feel welcome and except for Hana's absence, the Hinata is now ready for the festival.

Looking like a Tokugawa era gathering outside in front of the Hinata, everyone has on his or her new traditional finery.

Shinobu smiles brightly when Keitaro compliments her on her new Yukata, Kaolla too.

He really smiles when he sees Motoko and Mutsumi looking absolutely 'Yamato Nadeshiko'. Both women look demure with their long hair worn straight and combed out to a shiny brilliance.

Sarah and Kitsune stand out wearing theirs in the traditional manner with nothing on underneath.

What really causes him to pause is seeing Kanako in a cream-colored Yukata with blossoming plum trees on the front and back. He smiles at his Imouto-chan standing there holding her bag purse while looking beautiful.

What strikes everyone is how gorgeous the two Yuri couples look in their Yukata. The statuesque Tsuruko really shines as her one-point-eight-three meter height accentuates the silk material covering her luscious body. Naru and Shizuru are also beautiful and look very happy together.

Any of the women, including Sarah and Kaolla, could grace any magazine cover in Japan.

Keitaro receives many compliments from his family and the girls when he comes out onto the front steps of the Hinata wearing the Urashima Katana and Wakizashi in his Uwa-obi.

"Nothing like the present, ne?" says Haruka after taking pictures of the whole group in their finery.

Keitaro feels ridiculous and very much out of place, but he sees Motoko smiling at him and acquiesces when she gracefully takes his arm.

Even Reiji has to smile. He has rapidly become friends with the two youngest members of the Hinata crew. They surprise his Okā-san by taking his arms and cause the others to smile.

Kaolla leads him along as they go to have fun.

Down at the festival itself, Keitaro has a lot of success at the game booths. He wins a frog plushy for Shinobu, a turtle plushy for Kaolla and a pinch on the ass from Kitsune. This almost causes him to miss a target. Keitaro smiles at his girlfriend's antics and promises her that he will get even with her later.

"Oh, I hope so," says Kitsune in a smoky voice. She kisses his cheek and gives him a sassy smirk.

Sarah takes Mio's arm as the pair heads off to watch a procession. In a short time, the two have become very good friends _and maybe something more._

The group pulls up to a western-style eating contest that Keitaro, Reiji and Kaolla all enter. Here a slender man like Reiji gives the two resident eaters, Kaolla and Keitaro, a run for their money.

Nagisa Ōoba-san laughs when she sees how stunned the girls are when her son puts more food away into that slim body of his that the other two.

"Hmmm, hollow leg?" asks Naru rhetorically. She watches in amazement as the man keeps packing it away.

The others can only stand there and shake their heads in awe.

Hina Obaa-san joins her Imouto-san in laughing, because she has seen her nephew chow down like this on many occasions.

Ken also walks over to where his cousin is and smiles after the man puts the younger two to shame.

When it is over, Reiji says, "Kei-kun, later on I'm going to have to use the Dojo. I'm such a fatty."

Everyone laughs at the self-depreciating assessment by the slim man who has just eaten more food than either Keitaro or Kaolla.

The blonde Princess laughs gleefully as she hugs her new friend for besting her when it comes to power eating.

"Shinobu-chan, now you're really going to be in that kitchen all the time," says Kitsune as an aside to the young teen. She has respect for her new friend after he had downed all that food.

At dusk, they all sit on the stone steps of the Hinata and wait for the fireworks show to begin.

Keitaro gave the town fathers a generous donation so that the citizens here could enjoy a great show.

All of the other adults that had joined them here today left before dark, with the exception of Reiji who stayed behind. He is taking up residency in a room next to Haruka and Tsuruko's.

None of the residents object to him moving in, because if Keitaro trusts him, that is good enough for them.

Reiji thanked them all by bowing courteously.

Keitaro sits near the top step and six women surround him.

Kitsune gloms on possessively to his right arm and Motoko has his left.

Sarah and Mio sit behind Keitaro holding hands.

Kanako sits between her 'Onii-chan's' legs and relaxes.

Mutsumi sit next to Kitsune and gets comfortable.

Keitaro is glad that it is completely dark now, because…

Being as mischievous as her namesake is, Kitsune decides to tease her lover by stroking his huge penis through the gap in his Hakama.

To make matters worse, Kanako leans back and knows what the Fox is doing to him. She smiles and gets an idea of her own.

Quietly and not wanting to cause a scene, Keitaro sits here and enjoys what Kitsune is doing to him.

Kanako, not to be outdone, reaches in the front and brushes the other woman's away. With that done, she pulls him out and takes over with her mouth.

Kitsune pulls her hand out and grabs his arm allowing Kanako to finish him off without making a mess.

'I never knew,' thinks Kitsune smiling.

He has his quiet explosion that times itself perfectly to the real fireworks beginning.

Keitaro rubs his Imouto-chan's shoulders in silent thanks for not allowing a messy situation to develop.

Kanako smiles in the dark and wipes her chin off afterwards. She is thankful for the shadows between his legs.

Reiji sits a few steps down below the others. Shinobu sits on his left leaning her tired body against his arm. Kaolla sits on the other side and leans in on his other shoulder. He likes the fact that these two readily accept him as their friend because earlier Kaolla put a flower in his hair causing him to cry. He has never had friends like this before.

The two Yuri couples sit together on the top step just about two meters apart. Both couples are holding hands and making out.

After the show is over, Reiji and Keitaro put the youngest two to bed, because they are sound asleep.

The two Yuri couples head off after saying goodnight to everyone.

Reiji heads off to his new room and settles in.

Mutsumi heads off to her room with Kanako as Tama lands on the Okinawan's head. The little turtle yawns at the same time as her mistress.

Keitaro, Kitsune and Motoko go to bed together in a triple sized futon. He decides to stay in the Hinata for the night.

Mio drags Sarah into her room. Soon the older woman has the blonde feeling light-headed. Sarah has quite a few weak spots that Mio finds and exploits. Without much prompting, Sarah has an evening of Sapphic sex that she will never forget.

Hana comes home late and heads up to her room. She had expected to hear some caterwauling but with nothing more than the welcome quiet, her night is a peaceful one.

August 31, Kitsune Birthday, or the next morning's aftermath…

"Damn it to hell! Why does my fucking head hurt so damn much?" asks Keitaro regaining consciousness. He instantly regrets saying that and cringes when his eyes open.

The sun is shining in on another bright, beautiful day in Tokyo.

'Eleven-fifty-eight a.m., what the fuck!' thinks Keitaro. More pain in his head.

Giving himself a few minutes to gather his wits, it feels like the whole of the Chinese PLA is goose-stepping through his skull and his bladder is full enough to drown out downtown Tokyo.

On his left side, Kitsune moans but does not stir. She has her head on his chest. Both of them are naked and he has to piss.

'Why is my dick all sticky?' he thinks trying to get up. Gently, he pushes his lover's head aside so that he does not disturb her. That is a trick unto itself.

"Whoa, when did this happen?" asks Keitaro rhetorically. The room is spinning around, which lets him know that he is officially hungover, and it is a doozy too.

Stepping into the bathroom, Keitaro stands in front of the commode and lifts the seat. If he had a stopwatch right now, he could time the emptying of his bladder as it just keeps going.

He looks into the mirror and winces at the sight.

"I get totally shit-faced and can't remember a fucking thing about last night," he whispers and winces. He hates it when he has a good time and then has no memory of what had happened.

After Keitaro finishes, he walks out in time to see a staggering Kitsune come towards him.

She nearly knocks him over.

"Get the fuck out of my way," screams Kitsune slamming the bathroom door closed behind her. The Fox heads right to the toilet and begins to worship at the porcelain altar. The Fox gives a new meaning to the term 'projectile vomiting'.

Outside the bathroom door, Keitaro grimaces at the loud slamming and blanches as his lover continues to pray. Although he has done this before, this is only the second or third time that he can remember 'blacking out' like that. Listening to Kitsune, he is thankful for his cast iron stomach right now, so Keitaro just lets her comment go. It is still too painful right now for him to think.

Sitting down on the edge of the king-size bed, he notices that the suite is nearly as trashed as he is. Keitaro gets up again and staggers over to the huge sliding glass window to close it. He also pulls the drapes closed because the sun is just too bright for him. His head still has that army marching through it.

Staggering back to the bed, he sits down again and waits for Kitsune to emerge.

"Damn it to hell, Kei-kun. Did anyone get the plate of the fucking truck that just crashed into my fucking skull," says Kitsune after throwing open the bathroom door and holding onto her head. She stagger back to the bed and plops down next to her lover.

Sitting absolutely still, he does not answer her.

Her head hurts too much to say anything else and so she just stays quiet.

Ten minutes pass by and neither of them has moved one iota.

Finally, Kitsune sits up and props herself against Keitaro. After the room stops spinning for the both of them, they survey the carnage left in their wake. Surprisingly, they both smile and realize that it must have been one hell of a time last night.

Neither one of them can remember a thing about the wild evening that they had the night before.

By the look of things, they were sober enough 'fuck like minks'. Together, they see four stains in spots on the furniture around the room, a spot against the door and three huge stains on the bed. In different places strewn about the room are parts of his suit and her brand new dress.

"Son-of-a-bitch, Kei-kun! Why am I at a fucking loss about what happened to us last night?" asks Kitsune. She feels a bit tender down below and her thighs are very sticky. In addition, she is still oozing out quite a bit of semen from her pussy.

"Fuck if I know, Kit-chan," answers Keitaro. He leans over and gently kisses the top of her head.

"Let's take a shower and get the fuck out of here, Kei-kun," says Kitsune standing up on wobbly legs, "come on, mister. Get off your ass."

She reaches out and grabs his hands as they both stagger back into the bathroom.

As the water runs down them, they both know that Haruka will be extremely pissed off with them.

His cousin will definitely want to kick both of their asses.

End of Chapter


	7. What it means to be a family

The Hands of a Man  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's notes: Now that we have most of the players in place, we will see the daily interactions and situations of the Hinata crew.

Chapter 7: What it means to be a family

"Kei-kun, you stupid son-of-a-bitch," hollers Haruka coming in through the front door of the Hinata.

Tsuruko tries and almost fails to slow her down.

A big explosion is about to happen and Keitaro will be at its epicenter.

To say that Haruka is pissed off with him is massive understatement of how she really feels right now.

Besides trying to hold her off, Tsuruko also has to hold her lover back from hitting Keitaro with Motoko's new Bokken.

Haruka is swinging it around in a threatening manner as the fire in her eyes intensifies.

None of the older residents has ever seen her this angry before.

An account of what happened when they got home:

_After somehow getting a badly hungover Kitsune into his truck, Keitaro managed to find a fast-food drive thru. Getting some strong black coffee, he then headed out onto the highway and managed to drive home without hitting anything. Meanwhile, Kitsune snored as she lay in the back passenger seat of his truck. _

_When he parked it in the rear lot, he went over to her side and carried her inside of the Hinata bridal-style. _

_After entering the backdoor, he hauled the badly hungover woman up to their bed. Although semi-conscious, she enjoyed having him carrying her in his arms. This was a feat all unto itself._

_However, there was one witness to the previous spectacle… _

…_the sight of a wincing Keitaro carrying a badly hungover Fox over the bridge and through the backdoor was a comedic sight that was laughable at best._

_Shinobu had the foresight to wait by the kitchen door for her Senpai and Kitsune, because she was very worried about them. _

_Having heard his truck pull up a minute before, she saw Keitaro come waltzing in while holding Kitsune in his arms._

_To make sure they were safe, Shinobu followed the barely cognizant couple up to what would eventually become their room._

_"Shinobu-chan, please see to it that everyone stays quiet around here," whispers Keitaro wincing slightly, "Kitsune and I are severely hung-over, so we will be sleeping it off for most of the day. We won't need any lunch or dinner, thanks."_

_She helps him get the Fox undressed and into a laid out futon._

_Keitaro accomplishes all of this without feeling nauseous, but his bladder is full again._

_"Poor Senpai," says Shinobu as he gives him peck on the cheek before leaving the pair to their own devices._

_He stumbles off to pump out his bilges in the second floor water closet before pissing himself where he stands. _

_'That would have been fucking embarrassing,' he thinks undoing his zipper. Just as at the hotel, he has to stand here for a long time after the floodgates open._

_"Shit," he whispers after what seems like an eternity._

_Finally finishing, he zips up his pants and washes his hands in the small sink._

_"What in the hell was I drinking?" asks Keitaro wiping his hands off on a towel._

_Hana is heading out for a short shift at the hospital when she spots Keitaro staggering down the hallway. 'That must have had one helluva night with Kitsune,' she thinks stifling a laugh._

_He walks over to his room as she heads down the stairwell._

_After stripping, Keitaro is asleep before his head hits the pillow and never feels Kitsune latch onto him._

End of account.

The sun slowly descends behind the Hinata and this is when those certain fireworks inside were about to begin…

Haruka is ripping her beloved cousin a new asshole in the common room right now. All of the other residents are present as the owner of the place receives a 'dressing down' from the irate woman.

Haruka's language is so disgusting that it shocks even Kitsune and Tsuruko.

Kanako too is angry, but her vocabulary is not as extensive. She sits next to Mutsumi while staring coldly at her Onii-chan.

Reiji sits between the youngest two with a look of disapproval on his face. He is quiet, allowing Haruka to do all of the 'talking'.

Shinobu and Motoko's faces turn bright red at some of the filthy things that Haruka is saying to the couple seated across from her.

When you are as angry as Haruka is, any propriety that was here has gone completely out the window. _To say that she is shredding him into little pieces for being stupid the night before is putting it mildly._

Tsuruko managed to get the Bokken away from her girlfriend as she continues her explosive tirade.

Torn as she is between anger and tears, Haruka mentions something about just getting him back into her life and he does something that could have ended it.

The man in question sits quietly on the couch in a tank tee and warm-ups while his beloved cousin Haruka keeps up her harangue. He knows that she is right because of his lack of common sense this time. _This in of itself is highly unusual for Keitaro…_

Quietly, Kitsune sits next to him in a camisole set with her legs folded on the couch and sips from a mug of strong coffee. _At least the buzzing in her head is gone._

Brushing and gargling helped to rid her mouth of the pasty feeling when she woke up, but boy did she ever have one hell of a birthday celebration. _Even if she cannot remember any of it._

To top it all off, she still feels quite stretched out between her legs.

Keitaro recognizes the fact that Haruka treats him as if he was her son. _Right now, she is going out of her way not to disprove that._

While the girls are quietly listening to Haruka's emotional outbursts, they are also witnessing to something new, that is, Keitaro being human. _He must have done something extremely stupid to see her teeing off on him as she is._

The Fox does not escape Haruka's wrath either, as she rips into and viciously fillets the ash-blonde.

Motoko quietly sits on the other side of her Keitaro-sama and listens to Haruka tear into him. She knows all about the date that the two went on, but did not think that anyone could do what those two did last night. To drink so much that you cannot remember anything of what happened afterwards.

All she cares about right now is that her Keitaro-sama is home and that he seems to be pretty well intact.

Her friend Kitsune seems to have had a good time and looks like she has recovered from whatever it was they did to themselves.

"Damn it, Haru-chan. Will you slow it down some," says Keitaro wanting to put a stop to her lecture, "I can't remember a fucking thing about last night. After dinner that is."

"What do you mean, 'after dinner that is'?" asks Haruka derisively, "You mean to tell me that you and the lush over there with you, got that shit-faced, and then 'blacked out'. The rest, that's your own damn fucking fault."

Tsuruko almost has to restrain her lover once more from assaulting him.

Kitsune almost chuckles at the term but knows to keep a straight face right now. _It is healthier for her if she does._

"Yeah, it sure as hell was. Kit-chan is not a lush either, Haru-chan," says Keitaro smiling, "All I remember is fucking waking up this morning, seeing bright sunlight inside of the suite we passed out in and me needing to piss the Pacific out of my bladder. The fucking clock there said eleven fifty-eight. The place was trashed and so were we."

He then goes to describe the carnage to everyone while putting his arm around Kitsune's waist.

The Fox smiles knowingly at him.

Before Haruka can start in again, he adds, "This ain't the first time that I've ever gotten that fucking drunk, Haru-chan. I got shit-faced like this twice before, even worse than last night. The first time was when I turned 20. The other time was when I found out I was graduating Summa cum Laude from Tokyo U two years ago. What a bender that one was. I have only been 'wasted' like that three times in my life. Normally I hate doing that shit, but you know me: Live hard and play hard. You're right though, we did go a bit overboard last night, but the two of us are home safely. Now, after somewhat of a nasty hangover, we're none the worse for the wear."

Keitaro smiles when he finishes.

"Summa cum Laude," whispers Mio sitting with Sarah.

'Man, he sure can be a twit when he's drunk no matter how smart he is,' thinks Tsuruko. Up close, she has been listening to her lover cuss out the man she loves like a son. _She does not dare laugh or even giggle herself, because she knows that Haruka is in no mood for anyone's bullshit right now._

'He's that smart and acts that stupid,' thinks Hana. _The petite nurse now knows the reason why he looked so haggard this morning as she left for work._

The air all feels emptied from the room…

"Okay then, Urashima Keitaro-kun. Do not ever make me worry over you like that ever again. Next time, I won't threaten to kick your ass in the Dojo, I'll just cold-cock you when you least expect it and then stomp your balls where you lay, you fucking asshole," screams Haruka running over and hugging her beloved cousin.

He holds her as she cries in his arms.

"Does it always get so melodramatic around here, Naru-chan?" asks Shizuru who finds this whole situation very entertaining.

"No, Shi-chan," answers her girlfriend while trying to stifle a laugh, "This only happens when Haruka wants to kick his ass."

Everyone else nods.

"Uh-huh," they all reply in unison, all except for the two who are hugging.

The aftermath is a simple fix: Keitaro goes with Shinobu into the kitchen. She fixes dinner for the two delinquent party-animals. As for Haruka, she gets a promise from him never to get shit-faced that badly ever again.

After dinner, Keitaro does the dishes and sends them through the dishwasher. He laughs at some of the inventive things that Haruka had said about the time that he and Kitsune had last night.

Speaking of Kitsune, she is sitting quietly on the counter across from her lover as he works and sips from her coffee mug that she has constantly re-filled since waking up from her stupor and showering.

Motoko came in quietly with them and leaned up against the counter next to her fellow bedmate. _In a white silk Yukata, with red roses, she looks very beautiful._ At first, she is quiet as her ears are still ringing from Haruka's angry lecture to the two miscreants.

Nevertheless, she is not about to let either her Keitaro-sama or her fellow bedmate out of her sight tonight.

Five others have that same thought too.

The manager's upstairs room gets quite crowded that evening. He gets out seven futons as Mutsumi, Kanako and the youngest two join him.

Keitaro smiles.

If Haruka were to see this scene, she would backhand him one upside his head.

Next day…

In the morning after breakfast, Mutsumi takes the four youngest students to the clothing store that the Academy uses. It is so that they can pick up their new uniforms. The second semester is starting in two days, so the girls want to be ready.

The Academy is doing away with the old Prussian-style sailor fuku dresses that were the tradition there and is exchanging them for a more modern English look. The ensemble consists of a dark-blue blazer with the Academy crest on the left breast, a white button up blouse with a crimson-colored tie along with a dark-green/black plaid pleated skirt, a yellow cardigan for wintertime use and a white polo pullover with crest for the spring or summer. They buy their gym clothes at the same place too.

Keitaro gave the girls some extra cash so they could get anything else that they wanted.

The group next heads to the shoe store and picked up new shoes. With this, they pick up shoes for walking through the hallways at school. _Unlike in the west, Japanese students wear different footwear inside the school building._

Motoko likes how the new uniform makes her look more feminine. Since she does not bind her breasts anymore, she will wear her new underwear and hopes that her Keitaro-sama likes the new look. _She hated the older fuku because the medium-blue of the old dress was tasteless and clashed with her green eyes._

In addition, she is learning fashion sense from Kitsune and, as always, is a very good student.

Shinobu hopes that her Senpai thinks that she looks cute in the new ensemble. Even with the recent escapades between Keitaro and Kitsune, the petite chef's crush on the man has grown deeper by the day.

Naru, ever the fashionista, loves the new Academy outfit. Ever since getting rid of her eyeglasses, the brunette looks fantastic in just about anything she wears now. This includes western or British style clothing. Along with this, she believes that her Shi-chan will probably have a fantasy or two about being with a student in her uniform. This causes the brunette to smile and blush at the same time as she cannot wait to show off her new look to her girlfriend back at the Hinata.

Kaolla likes this outfit better than what she had had on before and remembers when Amalla used to wear the same sort of thing on MolMol when she had attended the Royal Academy. She knows she will also be warmer in this outfit because it is of better quality and hopes that her Onii-chan thinks she looks cute too.

After shopping, the crew goes to lunch and has an afternoon of fun.

With someone like Mutsumi, the quartet has a lot of fun in Tokyo.

Settling in for the fall…

At the Hinata, it seems that everything has returned to normal.

Reiji is helping his young friend, the petite chef, by getting the laundry going and hanging it out. It seems that the older man of the house is a 'domestic god'. He goes from chore to chore without stopping and does anything to see to it that his cousin, as well as the petite chef are happy with him.

_They are._

Hana is busy at work and helps with the chores when she can.

Mio goes to the University to make some last minute changes to her registry and then has lunch with her younger twin. She wants to catch up on Mei's seemingly interesting life.

Haruka, she still rips into Kitsune for her night of drunken debauchery with her beloved Kei-kun.

Tsuruko sits at her desk and smirks at the Fox during their 'bullshit' sessions today.

Kitsune turns a myriad shade of red when she serves her customers.

_It is all in good fun though…_

The staff of the Tea Shoppe sees all of this and wonders what is going on.

Haruka decides to clue the others in and gives them an edited overview. Kitsune already has a reputation that hardly needs any embellishment.

Laughing everything off, Kitsune takes it all with good grace. _Some of the other girls are actually jealous that she had snagged a 'god' like Keitaro._

Nevertheless, they are somewhat dubious when Kitsune tells them that she cannot remember a thing about that night, but mostly the others want to know what kind of lover he is. You see, a couple of girls that work here also have their eye on Keitaro and want him too. The Fox tells the two that there is already a long queue in front of them for his attention.

Haruka, though still upset with the Fox, back up her statement about there being a long line.

As the day progresses, Kitsune realizes Karma is swinging Haruka's way for once.

Haruka is having a lot of fun busting her chops and she takes at it all in as a badge of honor.

Her Kei-kun gave her a wonderful, if pretty much forgotten, twenty-second birthday blowout.

Later the same day, Kitsune smiles when Haruka makes more cracks about the wild night that left her and Keitaro turning into a couple of zombies.

The Tea Shoppe owner realizes that she is no longer getting under the Fox's skin, so she begins to ease up a little. _Not even Haruka can stay angry with Kitsune for that long._

Here is what is going on with the other half of this running joke…

Standing outside in the back property, Keitaro is in high gear once again as his night with Kitsune and its aftermath are now just a bump in the road. He recovered very quickly and with the help of the three newer girls, Keitaro gets some things accomplished off his main list.

Shizuru, Sarah and Kanako like the fact that there is plenty to do around their home. It seems that these three hate sitting around and dive right into helping Keitaro with some of his projects.

He is planting saplings today and the three women say, "why not."

The four of them plant these young trees the old-fashioned way, by not using an auger. Even the backhoe would have been overkill. Just four long-handled digging spades and some strong backs to do the job. The digging is easy as the soil on this part of the Hill is not rocky and there is no ledge to blast.

Right after the O-Bon Festival, Shizuru moved in to be with Naru.

Kanako loves working with her Onii-chan and getting her hands dirty. She does not have smooth hands anyway, as she had helped her parents in their stores since she was young.

Doing exactly what Keitaro had instructed, she helps the other two dig the holes to plant the trees.

Sarah, though looking out of place, shows the other two that she is no slouch when it comes to hard work. Nothing bothers the blonde bombshell as she sweats in the late summer heat. She wears a halter, a pair of faded jeans, work boots and leather gloves on her hands.

To Shizuru, this is some great eye candy.

People who see this gorgeous young woman would think that she would just laze around and sit in the sun. Not Sarah, this beauty hates sitting around if there is something that can keep her active mind going. It gives her inspiration for her art. Not once does she whine or complain about the work here being too hard. Hard work like this helps keep her figure slender and her luscious body looking luscious.

Keitaro shows his appreciation for Kanako's hard work by pinching her very nice ass. _Out of sight of the two, of course._

"Onii-chan," she hisses smiling at him.

"Do you work this hard every day, Keitaro?" asks Shizuru grabbing a bottle of cold water from Keitaro's fridge while taking a little break.

"It depends on what I want to do that day, Shizuru," answers Keitaro looking over at the silver-haired woman, "I plan out each day's work in advance and then as much as possible I carry through with those plans. Sometimes I write things down and sometimes I just see in my mind what I have to do to get a job done. But to answer your question, yes I work hard just about every day."

"Shizuru, my Onii-chan doesn't know the meaning of take-it-easy," says Kanako smiling, "He rests only when Haruka tells him to and has been this way ever since I have known him."

Wiping her brow off with a towel, she does so before grabbing a hold of digging spade again. _Even though she knows that her Onii-chan can handle the long hours of work, she still worries about him._

"Damn right, he doesn't. Keitaro was helping my Papa once down by Hiroshima and they ignored me the whole day," says Sarah putting in her two Yen. She also grabs some water out of the fridge after climbing out of the hole that she and Keitaro had just dug together.

"Sarah-chan, you know better than that," says Keitaro dryly, "We ignored you just that one time and you are still whining about it. I remember when you and Temari-san went down to the beach later that same evening. You certainly weren't complaining about anything then."

Shizuru takes notes of the exchange between the two and wants to talk to Naru about a plan she has in mind for the gorgeous blonde. _Something that could be fun for the three of them._

"Kei-kun, don't embarrass me like that!" hollers Sarah red-faced shaking her spade at him for emphasis as she remembers that time very well. The other woman still brings a smile to her face.

Kanako and Shizuru laugh as Sarah's visage turns a bright crimson.

Later that day, some fun and the end of summer party…

The Dojo women's locker room is a busy place in the late afternoon as everyone showers, takes in a soak, and/or works out.

The Hinata's indoor changing room is tiny in comparison so the residents ask Keitaro if he will do something about that. The place has quite a few antiquated fixtures and the old stalls are just too small now.

Keitaro shows them that he has already posted a Hinata women's locker room rebuild on the board. Everyone sees a date for when he will start expanding and modernizing the place. They all hope that it is very soon.

"I have the blueprints," says Keitaro before going over them with the residents.

Since it is just him and Reiji on the men's side, there will be just three stalls.

However…

Sarah, as usual, is the butt of a lot good-natured boob jokes. Naru and Shizuru grab her this time because two say that they are quite jealous of her magnificent treasures.

"Come on! Damn it you two, leave my tits alone," protests the blonde beauty.

Although she is protesting, Sarah actually enjoys having them grope her. She has always liked it when someone fondled her large breasts, especially when it was a woman. As it usually turns her to mush.

Sarah has to turn away from the 'yuri' couple before succumbing to their gentle play and having an orgasm.

"Yeah, she's mine," teases Mio stepping behind Sarah right then and latching her hands on to the blonde's large wet tits.

"Mio-Senpai!" whispers Sarah in surprise.

Too much fondling and being in a very horny state all the time causes her to give way. Right now, Sarah is very happy that she is standing under a running showerhead.

When Mio tweaks her sensitive nipples, she cums and squirts heavily under the warm water cascading off her gorgeous body.

Noticing a change in Sarah's demeanor, Mio turns her around. Out of sight of the others, she French kisses the blonde.

Sarah returns the kiss. She then gasps when Mio's hand goes down and put a finger into her now overly sensitive pussy.

A moan draws the couple who had originally molested her, but…

"Naru! Shizuru! I thought you two already had enough 'carpet to lick'," says Kitsune teasing the youngest lesbian couple, "Let them have some privacy." She has also had her large boobs grabbed on a few occasions by them, as has Mutsumi.

"Hey, what can I say? We both wanted to see and feel something nice," says Shizuru feeling smug.

Naru nods in agreement and smiles at her girlfriend.

They leave the other two alone and dress for dinner. Even so, the moaning from Sarah continues.

Kitsune laughs when she steps out the locker room door and heads over to the kitchen to help get dinner ready.

We move on…

Meanwhile, in the Hinata kitchen: Keitaro, Reiji, Kitsune and Motoko help Shinobu get the food ready for tonight's party.

The petite chef has another reason to be happy at this moment. Keitaro picked up a brand new buffet service at the same time he refurbished the kitchen and is just now presenting it to her. He hid in a storeroom next to a closed off area that is going to become part of Shinobu's expanded pantry. It was going to be a Christmas present but now is a good time to present his young friend with the new service table.

The excited girl rushes her Senpai and hugs the stuffing out of him again.

"Senpai, you're always spoiling me rotten," squeals Shinobu. She loves the new gift.

"Shinobu-chan, we're going to need this with the upcoming holidays and so here it is," says Keitaro as Shinobu looks up at him, "let's get it set up."

"This looks like it could hold a lot of food. Is there a pilot light, Senpai?" asks Shinobu bending down with Keitaro to check out the underside. There is a place for an automatic pilot light, a hook-up for filling the inside of the table with water for steaming, an automatic shutoff valve, a digital electronic thermostat and it also has a refrigerated section for cold dishes.

"Do you want a bottled gas hook up to this so we can move it, or do you want it placed against the wall and hooked into the house's main gas supply? It's yours, so I'll leave the decision up to you, Shinobu-chan," says Keitaro.

"I'd like to leave it right here against the wall, Senpai," responds Shinobu pointing to an empty section of the wall. She has wanted a buffet set for holidays and parties now that the Hinata has more residents.

"Oh that will be so perfect there against that wall, Shinobu-chan," says Reiji thinking that the petite chef has a great sense of where the new buffet table should go.

"Since we have three big eaters now you can make huge amounts of food ahead so you don't have to take a lot of trips back to the kitchen, Shinobu-chan," says Kitsune off-handedly. _She comes in getting a chuckle from Reiji and Motoko._

Shinobu smiles as Keitaro and Reiji push the service table up against the wall under her direction.

Keitaro goes to get some tools to hook up her buffet service and the others go back into the kitchen to get dinner moving along.

Shinobu's latest gift from her Senpai impresses the other residents.

Kaolla helps her 'Onii-chan' hook up the steam table. They connect the water line from the main supply, and then hook up the gas line. Keitaro sees that he has to hook up a 220V main electrical supply plug in the wall and quickly installs one. Sarah hands tools down to the pair working on the table.

After Keitaro turns the gas on, he hits the automatic ignition switch and voila, the table is ready for use.

In the kitchen, it is a hopping place. Shinobu instructs the others on what she wants done.

Tsuruko and Motoko use their inherent knife skills to slice up veggies.

Mio runs the fryer.

Mutsumi helps Shinobu get things ready for the oven and everyone makes sure that Naru does the dishes.

Naru knows that she is a disaster in the kitchen, so she does not mind this chore. With Shizuru's help, her girlfriend has a huge smile on her face as the two flirt in-between dish loads, so these two are happily working together.

Hana has a whisk in her hand and whips up the sauces that Shinobu needs. She asks, "Are you sure about this amount, Shinobu-chan?"

"Hai, Hana-Senpai. That's just perfect," answers Shinobu.

Reiji assists the nurse by getting the tempura ready.

"Hey, you two get a room!" says Kitsune looking over at the dishwasher.

Shizuru has Naru up against the back end of the dishwashing machine tongue wrestling with her.

The others giggle at them.

"Sorry," says a slightly embarrassed Shizuru and lets her smiling girlfriend up. They get back to work, but neither woman looks as though the romance is over yet.

"I bet you aren't," says Haruka smirking. She washes her hands after prepping chicken and kisses her girlfriend getting a laugh from the other 'yuri' couple.

Shinobu, Haruka and Reiji do the actual cooking.

The petite chef is thankful for the size of her kitchen. It allows plenty of room for all of the residents to be in here without stepping over each other.

"That's a hell of a lot of rice, Shinobu-chan," comments Kitsune as she gets the cooker running.

"We have a big crowd now so we need a lot, Kitsune-Senpai. Onegai, fill it one more time," says Shinobu frying some pork strips, "and Tsuruko-Senpai, would you please break up another head of lettuce for the salad?"

"Sure, Shinobu-chan," answers Tsuruko. She does not mind having someone much younger giving her orders. _This is Shinobu's domain after all…_

No one minds working in here because it brings everyone together.

Shinobu smiles at all of the help she is getting.

Everyone else helps where needed.

When the food is cooked, they carry the pans out to the dining room and place them into the new service.

Keitaro sees that he has a lot of pots and pans to scrub, but that does not bother him. He has plenty volunteers to help with the big stuff.

"Itadakimasu," they all say after sitting down to eat.

The dinner buffet this evening proves that there is no end to Shinobu's culinary prowess as she gets compliments galore. The quality and quantity of food consumed proves it.

There is a lot more room at the table as they can get what they want at any time with disturbing another eater.

Even the sauces have their own section in the service table.

Only the salt and peppershakers are still on the table, which leaves room for other things.

At a signal from Keitaro, Reiji excuses himself and heads off for a moment. _It seems that someone has a special surprise for two of the women sitting at this table._ He has always been good at keeping news, whether good or bad, close to him until the time was right to convey it. _Though hating deception in any form, or any form of bullshit as he calls it, sometimes keeping quiet it is good._

In a few moments, everyone here will see why.

Reiji returns to the table and hands Keitaro a folder.

Opening it to peruse the contents, Keitaro nods and in a soft voice says, "Yosh."

The older cousin sits and gets comfortable next to Kaolla. (Writer's note: Yosh means 'alright' in Japanese.)

Smiling ever so slightly, he closes the folder and places it on the table next to him. _He will wait until everyone is finished eating._

Reiji then looks at his cousin and Keitaro nods to him.

All is good.

Haruka also knows what is in the folder, but just like everyone else, she too will wait until the proper time.

Everyone is now sated as the party gets off to a successful start.

However, this is only the beginning.

Keitaro's announcements…

"Gochiso-sama deshita," they all say after dessert.

Knocking on the table twice before standing, Keitaro gets everyone's attention.

All eyes are on the man standing there as he picks up the folder that Reiji had just handed to him. Opening the folder, he pulls out three sheets of paper and then places it back down in front of him.

"Okay, minna. I have two announcements to make," says Keitaro who starts right in, "first of all, to the four that attend the Hinata Academy. The Urashima group will be taking over all of your expenses to attend there from now on."

Cheering goes up from Naru, Motoko, Kaolla and Shinobu as none of them had expected this to happen.

"For three of you, your families have been notified and they consented to let me take over the payments. Kaolla-chan, because of this, your family believes that you and I are to marry in the near future. They can delude themselves if they want," says Keitaro almost laughing at this turn of events.

The girls all giggle, including Kaolla.

"You're my Onii-chan. Even though I wouldn't mind if you were my fiancée," says Kaolla giggling as she gets a few stares from her comment.

"Actually, Kaolla-chan. He is my Onii-chan," says Kanako looking at her and still has difficulty with the blonde Princess calling him this.

Naru and Shizuru hug each other and then smile at him. The silver-haired woman no longer has any doubts about Keitaro, or about what kind of a man he truly is.

"Thank you, Senpai," says Shinobu happily before standing up and hugging him again.

The others giggle as the girl is squeezing the stuffing out of Keitaro while he smiles at her. _Enjoying how she feels up against him, but enough of this for now._

With the restoration of decorum in the dining room, Shinobu sits back down.

Keitaro then continues, "Now, I want you all to say hello to the newest members of the Urashima family, Tsuruko Nee and Motoko-chan. Your adoption has been formalized."

This time, the others cheer while watching as Motoko nearly knocks her Keitaro-sama back onto his ass as she kisses him very deeply. Somehow, he managed to maintain his balance and stay on his feet.

Haruka and Tsuruko hug while Keitaro passes the document over to his older cousin so she and her lover can read it.

"Welcome to the Urashima, Tsuruko and Motoko-chan," says Reiji also standing and hugging the two women after their lovers release them. _He is genuinely pleased that Keitaro is so magnanimous towards the former Samurai._

Keitaro has an inkling that the Motoko is going to thank him in other ways later tonight and that neither of them will be sleeping very much.

The day before the new school semester begins in the morning, the residents spend time making sure that all of their preparations are complete. This is before most of them head back to class in the morning. All of their summer homework is complete, so there will be no last minute rushing around to finish any of their assignments.

After a productive summer of hard work and fun, everyone puts that season to rest and a page turns.

The start of the fall semester…

Naru is in Shizuru's arms as another warm September morning begins.

_Brrrrr! Brrrrr!_

The brunette cuddles with her girlfriend and hits the snooze bar on their alarm clock. The 'yuri' couple knows that today is going to be a special day for the both of them.

Shizuru, along with Mutsumi, Kanako and Sarah, will head off to University as classes start up again today. _The silver-haired co-ed is happy about this._

Naru is heading to back to the Academy in her new uniform. She is going to be seeing a lot more now without her cursed thick-lensed glasses. The brunette 'third year' is happy that 'four-eyes Narusegawa' is no more.

For another minute, they just want to hold each other.

_Brrrrr! Brrrrr!_

The alarm goes off again and Shizuru shuts it off before giving her girlfriend a deep French kiss to start their day.

Reluctantly, the two get out of their futon and dress for morning Katas.

In another room, Haruka giggles when Tsuruko nibbles her ear while the half-awake café owner tries to get up.

Outside in Keitaro's tent, Kitsune wakes up this morning feeling a bit frisky. After sitting up and stretching, she is surprised to see that Motoko has already beaten her to Keitaro's 'morning wood'. While slightly jealous of her younger bedmate, she thinks that Motoko is doing a great job of pleasing their lover. Her technique and control of his huge cock has vastly improved since they first started sharing a bed with him.

Kitsune decides to attack the other end and deeply French kisses the man she loves.

In the rest of the Hinata, the other student residents have their own issues in getting for this first day of the new semester.

Before everyone gets ready for breakfast, the tenants ready themselves for their morning workout. This has become a regular habit for them. They all realize that they do much better during the day when they expend some energy and put in a bit of sweat equity to get their early mornings going.

Keitaro steps inside the Hinata and walks over to his office for a few minutes.

Hana sees him sitting at his desk and comes in. She confesses to him that since moving to the Hinata and joining the others for their morning workouts, her workday is so much better than it used to be. The RN says that her co-workers lately have noticed a certain added spring in her step.

"They are very jealous of me," says Hana just beaming.

"Excellent," replies Keitaro smiling at her happiness. This older woman is beginning to attract his attention.

Residents come down the stairs and flock at the bottom. The kerfuffle tells Keitaro that it is time to get going.

Heading out of his office, Hana tells him that she is in the best shape of her life.

Kaolla runs up and jumps onto her Onii-chan's back as he passes by the main stairway. Kissing his cheek, she gets laughs from the others.

"Ohaiyo, Kaolla. Did you sleep well?" asks Keitaro smiling at her over his right shoulder. Shifting his arms, he holds onto her 'piggyback' style.

"Great, Onii-chan!" answers Kaolla seemingly full of energy as always this morning. _She manages not to wrinkle her new uniform, which still has the plastic covering it._

"Kaolla-chan, how many times do I have to tell you that he is my Onii-chan?" asks a slightly indignant Kanako.

With everyone gathered, the group heads down the hallway and out the back door.

"Calm down, you two. It's a beautiful morning out here, so let's keep it that way," says Keitaro to Kanako and Kaolla.

"Yes, Onii-chan," respond the two simultaneously while they all crossover the bridge.

Kaolla then hugs Keitaro, which irritates his Imouto-chan to no end.

However, she takes it all in good stride.

Now that they are all present in the Dojo, the morning practice begins.

Keitaro and Haruka put the residents through their paces this morning because today is the first day of class for all of the students.

"I want to make sure that all of you are safe at school from molesters and bullies when you're away from home today," says Keitaro after he gets up from having tiny Shinobu drop him again.

He smiles at her even though she hates to do anything that would hurt her Senpai.

She has learned her lessons very well because there is one particular boy she has to watch out for this morning.

However, this semester, she is going to drop him on his ass and protect the others in her class, especially her best friend Akiko-chan.

Reiji proves to be a natural as his slim build allows him to land on his feet when Kaolla flips him. _The Princess laughs when he does not go down._

Some of the others giggle when Kaolla does the same thing when he flips her. Kaolla's natural high energy and knowledge of foreign methods of fighting impresses the others. She even shows Keitaro a few things.

Keitaro and Shinobu finish early with their workouts and shower while the others continued for a while. _They announce that they are going to make a special breakfast for everyone._

When Shinobu steps outside the Dojo door in her uniform, she hopes that her Senpai likes her new look. To her, this uniform looks much nicer than the fuku that she wore up until the summer shutdown.

"What do you think, Senpai?" asks Shinobu turning side-to-side while looking at him, so that he can see all of her.

"You look very kawaii, Shinobu-chan," answers Keitaro smiling at her.

_His compliment makes her day._

Then, he holds out his hand and she takes it with a smile.

The duo quietly heads out of the Dojo and into the backdoor of the Hinata to get breakfast going for their housemates.

After the workout…

"Dammit, Mio-Senpai. We don't have time right now," says Sarah in a shower stall trying not to moan and enjoys having Mio fondle her huge boobs.

No one sees the two women going at it.

"Do you like it?" asks Mio whispering in the blonde's ear.

The cascading water masks her voice as Sarah can only nod.

This time Mio feels Sarah squirt as the blonde leans up against the wall in the midst of her orgasm.

Good-natured boob grabbing is becoming an everyday occurrence, because along with her, they molest the other big chested women as well.

Motoko gets a little peeved when Tsuruko tells her that she will have bigger tits than Sarah or Mutsumi in a couple of years. Her Ane-ue demonstrates this by at first putting her hands under her own ample breasts and then comes over to fondle Motoko's large tits.

Moaning pleasurably at what her Ane-ue is doing, and since no one can see the two there in the stall, Motoko gets a big surprise when Tsuruko gives her a romantic French kiss. _For some reason, she does not pull away._

When it breaks, Tsuruko smiles and whispers, "We will continue this another time, my Motoko-han."

All the flabbergasted teen can do is nod.

Over in another stall, Kitsune is Haruka's victim this morning as the older woman tries to get even physically. That is, because no one can out cuss the Fox. Haruka receives a surprise of her own when the ash-blonde leans her up against the sidewall, kneels down, and lifts up her right leg while eating her pussy.

"Shit," hisses Haruka trying not to scream just before cumming. The older woman never expected this and actually enjoyed being on the receiving end once again from the Fox.

"Remember the last time you tried that stunt with me," hisses Kitsune with a familiar leer.

"You wouldn't dare," whispers a shocked Haruka.

With a huge grin on her vulpine face, the Fox nods her affirmative.

"Fuck," says the older woman without a comeback, she can only blush at the memory of such an enjoyable time.

These various moments are impromptu, as they only take a few minutes for the couples to cool off before resuming their morning schedules.

Sarah has ideas about what to she wants with the Mutsumi look-a-like running through her mind as she throws on her robe.

Fifteen minutes later…

After Naru has her uniform on just perfect, her girlfriend pounces. Shizuru thinks that she looks luscious, just like a character from a 'yuri' manga. It is almost a fantasy come true for the silver-haired young woman.

Naru is about to have an orgasm because Shizuru has a hand her panties and is fingering her. The brunette teen's moans alert those around them and the younger lesbian couple gets 'the look' from Haruka.

"Knock it off you two," she says sternly, "Kei-kun will not be happy if Naru gets that uniform all messed up. Plus, we don't have time for that shit right now."

She is still recovering from her own orgasm.

Haruka would not mind going down on Naru herself right now, and neither would Tsuruko who is smiling at her. They give each other that 'knowing' look.

Shizuru releases a whimpering Naru who had her pinned against the stall slightly disheveled. "Later, when we get home," she whispers before releasing her girlfriend, "your pussy is mine."

Blushing, Naru nods with a big smile on her face.

The silver-haired woman smiles and helps Naru straighten out her uniform.

With everything in place, Shizuru grabs her stuff and her lover's hand before running out of the Dojo to have breakfast.

"Geezus! Those two, they're almost as bad as us," says Tsuruko laughing at their antics. Her Imouto-chan has become quite a good kisser since becoming Keitaro's lover and Kitsune's protégé.

She and Haruka head out to the Tea Shoppe. Nevertheless, they will not be joining the others for breakfast this morning.

First, Haruka and Tsuruko go through the Hinata, because the older cousin wants to see Keitaro for a moment and wish him a good day. After pulling him aside, she also apologizes for some of the awful things she said to him before kissing his cheek.

Keitaro knows she did this because she loves him and worries as if he were her son. _He has always appreciated this from her._

At least Sarah gets to breathe a sigh of relief when she is finally able to close up her front snapping bra. Her large breasts are feeling tender right now and her pussy is still leaking slightly. This morning she dresses very sedately in a calf-length denim bib-dress with a polo shirt underneath.

Sarah enjoyed what Mio did to her, and in her condition, she does not need to set off any hormonal second semester first-year college students on her first day back.

Kanako smiles at Sarah because this is the first time in a month she has seen her friend wear a bra. 'Must be nice to have large tits to show off,' she thinks waiting for her blonde friend to finish up. She has no clue about what Mio did to the blonde in the shower stall.

Reiji helps his cousin and young friend by telling them that he will do the dishes. Everyone know that he will finish his work before sitting down to watch his 'soap operas' on TV.

He is the only person living here who watches the daily serials. _No one else cares for them._ Reiji gets quite a few laughs at the dinner table trying to fill the others in on the daily episodes of his shows.

With apologies to Tsuruko and Motoko, he says that Kyoto TV sucks, 'in no uncertain terms'.

The two nod in agreement with him before they giggle.

Standing there in the back doorway of the Hinata, the other male of the Hinata waves and says goodbye to everybody. Not before receiving a kiss on the cheek from Kaolla and Shinobu.

One of the first things he does is feeds the small menagerie their breakfast. Shippu gets a dozen thawed out butterfish, which he swallows with little effort; Kuro gets two expertly filleted mackerel that he enjoys; and Tama, she has a quarter head of fresh lettuce right after the foodservice had dropped off Shinobu's latest order.

After concluding his morning chores, Reiji sits comfortably on the big couch and places a cup of tea on the end table next to him. He has Tama resting on his head, a curled up Kuro on his lap and Shippu on a perch next to the couch. He grabs the remote they all watch his TV programs together. This becomes an everyday occurrence and one that makes him happy.

Later he will be too busy to enjoy his normal afternoon programs, oh well.

Motoko sits next to her Keitaro-sama in the front seat of his pick-up. He complimented her earlier by saying that she looks beautiful in her new school uniform. _She blushed and shyly thanked him before kissing his cheek._

Naru, Kaolla and Shinobu all sit in the spacious back seat with the Princess leaning up as her 'Onii-chan' drives them to school. They all have their book bags and the bentos that Shinobu made for them.

Kaolla snuck half-a-dozen bananas into her bag before heading out. _Reiji laughed when he saw her do that._

Hana, feeling really energized after her workout with the others heads to the hospital for her shift. She has to do rounds this morning before going over through her administrative work. Kaolla showed her a few tips on how to get through the bureaucratic red tape faster, so she can spend more time on the floor.

Mutsumi takes Sarah and Kanako with her so they can attend their classes.

Shizuru says that she will tag along on her bike and will ride it until the weather precludes her from doing so.

Mio heads out by herself and does not have her first class until ten so she is going to see her twin sister until then. _She still has Sarah on her mind._

Haruka, Kitsune and the staff are going full tilt down at the Tea Shoppe. Haruka needs Tsuruko to help her out this morning because the place is teeming with regulars and college students heading to their respective schools or places of business.

The trams are all quite full on this the first day of school.

Kitsune almost slaps someone who makes a rude comment by propositioning her. She deflects his hand away when he tries to grab her ass. The fact that she did that so effortlessly startles the young man who decides to beat a hasty retreat before she takes further exception to his actions.

"Hentai," screams Kitsune after the man leaves. She does not say it the way that she would have to her Kei-kun.

The Fox steps in the kitchen to compose herself for a few minutes.

"Are you okay, Kitsune?" asking Haruka after witnessing the whole thing.

"Yeah, Haruka," replies Kitsune reining in her temper, "That son-of-a-bitch made a grab at me. Good thing I listened when you were showing me how to handle 'perverts'." After another minute, she takes a deep breath, puts her smile back on her face and heads back out to the floor.

At the Academy…

Keitaro drops the girls off in the front of the Academy, but not before getting a big kiss from Motoko. _She looks flawless in her new uniform._

Kaolla and Naru head to the high school side with their taller housemate.

Shinobu hops out the back of the pickup and says goodbye to her Senpai. She sees Akiko waiting for her.

Parking in the Academy visitors' lot, Keitaro walks into the administration building. Since he is an Urashima, the Head Master and staff give him their immediate attention that his status is due. Showing the documents with Motoko's new surname and family status to them, he stands there as the registrar makes the necessary changes to her file.

Keitaro presents documents to them letting them know there are three other students who live under his roof, and that the Urashima will be taking care of their Academy expenses from now on.

"Is there anything else that we can do for you, Urashima-sama?" asks the Head Master. Keitaro's demeanor and presence impresses him.

"One last thing, if I may. After Maehara Shinobu graduates from here in another four-and-a-half years, I will be continuing my support for this Academy. I am very impressed with what this place does for its students and will want to see it continue," answers Keitaro plainly. _He has done some research about this school and the girls have told him that they like it here._

With this pledge, the Head Master knows that the Academy will continue to be in good shape financially and that the facilities will remain topnotch.

With this task complete, Keitaro heads out to accomplish his main goal for today.

_We will soon find out what that is._

Elsewhere on the grounds…

"I am Urashima Motoko now. Please treat me kindly," says Motoko bowing during homeroom while re-introducing herself to her classmates using her new surname.

This morning, Motoko's classmates see something very different in her that none of them can explain. Students, who have known her since she first arrived at the Academy, have never seen her look so radiant. Motoko is naturally a very beautiful young woman. The so-called 'class idols' are envious of this tall Kyoto native, and without her chest bindings, they all notice her much larger bust.

"And where is her Bokken?" asks the class rep rhetorically before the class begins in earnest.

Up on the third year student's floor, everyone is going gaga over how gorgeous Naru looks without her glasses. _She does not know what to do in this situation._

To help her feel more comfortable, Kaolla sits next to her and smiles.

The boys who used to tease Naru come up and apologize for being mean to her as they hope to have a chance of confessing to her.

"That's highly unlikely," says Kaolla when asked if the brunette is free. Without going into details, the Princess tells their male classmates that Naru is dating a Tokyo U student now. Purposely, she omits the sex of that college student and thinks that it is none of their business.

Naru thanks Kaolla for supporting her and sitting nearby. She hopes that no one in her class will try confessing to her today.

"That's what friends are for," says Kaolla reaching over and patting her shoulder.

Naru smiles.

There is a brief scuffle over on the middle school side of the Academy.

Shinobu has a bully on the ground and in agony after he tried to grab her friend Akiko. She has him in a very painful looking wristlock and arm bar. Shinobu bends the kid's fingers backwards in very unnatural ways, and his elbow, you can just about classify it as double-jointed.

Her classmates are in awe because she has a kid, who is almost twenty centimeters taller and outweighs her by thirty kilos, on the ground in a lot of pain.

The boy is swearing and threatening her, but Shinobu does not let up on the pressure that she is applying to the wristlock. It seems the more he opens his mouth, the more pressure she uses on his arm to get him to shut up. After practicing with her beloved Senpai, she is not about to let this asshole take advantage of her again. _Who knew that Aikido and Russian Systema could be so compatible with Judo?_

None of the others has ever seen anyone move like their friend, as they marvel at how fast the boy went down.

The assistant principle saw the whole incident as it happened. He thanks Shinobu for giving him a reason to expel the kid for good. _The boy has been a thorn in the side of this Academy since he showed up here. To the staff, it no longer matters that the kid's father had been financially supporting the school. They now have Urashima family funding that will more than compensate if the man withdraws his support._

The others cheer for her as Shinobu turns bright red while entering their classroom. _This all happened just before the first hour bell had sounded._

After class, her classmates ask if they can learn how to defend themselves the way she did.

Shinobu tells them that she will to ask her Senpai first and then let them know. _Like Keitaro could ever refuse a request from his petite chef._

The first day for the Hinata girls at the Academy goes well without any further incidents except for two players on the boys' basketball team who confessed to Motoko. She smiled at them knowingly and walked away without saying a thing.

The Kendo team also wonders why she had not signed on for the new semester.

At Tokyo University…

The Hinata's university students sit in the main auditorium while the Chancellor and President give their welcoming speeches for the upcoming fall semester.

Sarah, sitting with Kanako, is happy because her Papa and Maria are sitting in the back with Ken and his wife.

Both sets of parents' are very proud of their daughters.

Afterwards, Shizuru introduces her Otō-san and Onii-san to the parents of her housemates. It strikes the silver-haired woman strange that her Otō-san was a former classmate of Ken and Noriyasu in both high school and here at Tokyo U. _They did not see each other back in April at the Welcoming Ceremony._

After a few minutes with their folks, the three head to their classes.

Meanwhile, Mutsumi thinks about a certain someone that she misses dearly and left behind in Okinawa with her Okā-san. The photo she carries is the most valuable keepsake she has right now and when the time is right, she will re-unite with them.

For now, the Okinawan's course load is not too heavy as she starts the second semester of her first year in Graduate School. The labs and lectures leave her with little time to do other things. Although she seems a little flustered by the controlled chaos, things are actually going a little better than it was last year at this time. Mutsumi is very similar to Keitaro in one way, as she does not need to study very much. Just as an undergrad, she seems to absorb the classes and study material as if by osmosis. Her spring semester grades reflect this as she made not only the Dean's list, but the President's list as well. Nursing is something that she wants to do and her talks with Hana have only re-enforced this view. _As was previously stated, she has personal reasons for pursuing this course of study._

Mio has a great time at breakfast with her twin, who then shows Mei a cell phone picture of the Okinawan.

"You're right, Mio-chan. She looks just like us. If her tits weren't so huge, we would almost be triplets," says Mei causing her twin to laugh.

Knowing never to ask her sibling about how her sex life is going, Mio would always get an earful of TMI if she did. The younger twin is not shy about being descriptive in telling her what she does in bed with her boyfriend.

_Mio on the other hand is bisexual, as she had an affair with a teacher in her second year of high school. This incident caused the man to move away when the summer break came. In her third year, she had a girlfriend and two male sex friends that kept her 'motor running'. She has no one steady, and for right now, wants to keep it this way._

_However, the blonde American is beginning to help her think differently about wanting a full-time lover._

Both Mio and Mei avoid the first year crush since they are second semester third year students and have a later start to their classes.

Mio is in the business school and Mei is taking up the pharmacology program.

Creating a proper bedroom for three…

Coming home from the dropping the girls off at the Academy, Keitaro hooks up his stake-sided trailer to the hitch on his pick-up. Knowing that Reiji will be busy with the housework and his TV shows, Keitaro does not wish to disturb him.

Finally, Keitaro is going to do the expansion on the bedroom that he wants to share with two of his girlfriends.

After making a few calls, he goes down the back road and heads off towards downtown Tokyo. He was fortuitous enough to have pre-ordered everything and now just has to go pick it up. Being an Urashima helps him because every upscale business in the Tokyo environs wants to do business with them. In addition, he gets help from the store employees who help him load his purchased items into the trailer.

Next, Keitaro picks up the custom made bed frame along with a box spring and mattress set that is one-of-a-kind. When the he gave the specifications for this to the manufacturer, he said it had to be very sturdy and to spare no expense in making it so.

Secretly, at home in his woodshop, Keitaro made all the wooden components to this bed ensemble after he saw an online article about American Colonial-style furniture. This was all the inspiration he needed before carrying through on a dream of joining two rooms together for him and his two bedmates.

The same store also has his custom linen order ready, he places them in the back seat of his truck cab along with a bunch of new pillows.

He has always wanted a large western-style bed and is very satisfied with everything in his order, so he heads home.

Arriving back at the Hinata, Keitaro backs the trailer up to the backdoor of the Hinata and carries the light stuff inside.

Reiji hears his cousin's truck pull up outside in the back and goes to that part of the manse to see what is going on. He sees the magnificent bed set that Keitaro has sitting in his trailer.

"Oh, Kei-kun. Don't you think that's rather large for your new room?" asks Reiji. _This is a seemingly obvious question._

Keitaro smiles and says, "Reiji-kun, let me show you something."

The two men take the old storage area steps down to the woodshop. Here, Keitaro opens the door and they step in.

"Watch this," says Keitaro hitting a button on the wall. The motor to a roll-up door whirrs from the ceiling. Behind the door is a lot of custom-made western-style furniture. It is all finished with a dark-brown stain and polished with clear polyurethane lacquer.

"Oh my Kami, Kei-kun. This is so gorgeous. You did this all yourself?" asks a wide-eyed Reiji. He runs his hands down his cheeks looking at all of the beautiful things that his cousin had made.

He knows that Keitaro is a talented carpenter, but this…

"Yeah, will you help me with it when I'm ready to bring this upstairs?" asks Keitaro matter-of-fact.

"Oh shit yeah, Kei-kun," answers Reiji. He would love to have some of the things that Keitaro has here.

"Tell you what, Reiji-kun," says Keitaro, "I'll make what you want if you give me a list after we're finished."

If he did not know how straight Keitaro was, he would have kissed him just as he has seen one of his girlfriends' do, so he just nods his head with a huge smile.

The wall between rooms comes down very fast as the slat boards are thin and old after he and Reiji clean out the closets in both rooms.

Since the dividing wall is dry, it takes Keitaro less than an hour to have it all torn down and open between rooms.

Reiji helps him cleanup, by getting some large trash bags from the kitchen. Picking up the trash, he hauls them off to the dumpster that is just outside of the kitchen door.

Keitaro copied the style of wall mouldings' (Writer's note: this is the correct spelling.) that is in the rest of the room on his wood miller. He then hooks up his nail gun to his small compressor and put them into place while Reiji vacuums and dusts the expanded room.

While Keitaro finishes with some of the minor details in the room, Reiji prepares lunch and they take a short break to eat.

"Wow, Kei-kun. I hope those two really appreciate what you are doing in here for them," says Reiji who is still in awe of everything.

"I think they will," responds Keitaro confidently. He finishes the bento that Reiji made for him and drinks some cold tea to wash it all down.

Getting back to work, Keitaro installs the new vanity tables. The mirrors will be the last thing that he puts in because he still has to bring in some of the heavier pieces, mostly just the larger bed parts.

He is about ready to install the new closet poles. First, he screws in the mounting brackets and sets the pre-cut dowels into the slots so they can hang the women's clothing back up.

Driving his front-end loader over to the trailer, Keitaro uses the bucket to bring the bed frame, box spring and large mattress up to the second floor with Reiji spotting for him. Then running back-and-forth, he helps his cousin drag everything inside the manse and carry the item over to his new room. Using this same principle, he carefully hoists the heavy wooden headboard up from the basement as the two put it with the other pieces.

"Hold on a second, Reiji-kun," says Keitaro pulling out his tape measure to check the securing points on the bed frame one more time just to make sure that everything will fit just right. Then he thinks about the old saying that goes 'measure twice and cut once'. _It may not be apropos here at this time, but it still comes to him though._

The two men struggle to connect the metal and wood parts, they mesh perfectly and then, voila, it finally sets perfectly into place.

"Shit, just right too," says Keitaro to Reiji.

The two men smile that their struggle to get this thing together was not in vain. With this done the rest of the bed furnishings go in very quickly.

They put on the new sheets, blankets, comforter and pillows to finish the bedstead off in very short order. _It is a meter wider than an ordinary king-sized bed._

New chairs, end tables and mirrors come in next, along with a personalized nameplate for his two lovers on their own individual dressing tables.

Reiji has a great sense of where to put the new boudoir items on the vanities so Keitaro leaves this delicate task in this mans' more than capable hands.

Finishing up, in the back end of the room, the two men go fetch and then hang the women's clothing up onto the closet poles.

"Kitsune's such a slut," says Reiji who pooh-poohs some of the Foxes' clothing selection while shaking his head. The man makes a few insulting remarks about how the Fox would look if dressed in some of these clothes.

"She could easily pass herself off as a hooker."

_He thinks that Motoko has a lot more class in her choices though…_

Keitaro smiles and has to agree with the man.

Keitaro and Reiji install large, brand new sliding bifold doors with end pieces so it will seem more like a walk-in closet. This final project takes only about forty-five minutes to accomplish. Keitaro made the pieces modular and partially assembled them so that they could install the units a lot faster.

"Great job, Reiji-kun. We made a great team today," says a very happy Keitaro.

Reiji smiles and fans himself with his right hand. A huge smile crosses his face.

"No one's going to get any sleep in this room tonight that is for damn sure," comments Reiji sarcastically, "just don't wreck that bed by getting too rambunctious tonight, okay Kei-kun". He cannot wait to make a list of things for himself so Keitaro that can start making some bedroom furniture for him.

Keitaro laughs because his cousin knows exactly what is going to happen tonight, and is not shy in saying so about it.

Before the two men go to clean themselves up, they pick up the last of the trash and put their tools away.

Keitaro heads out to put his truck, tractor and trailer away. After unhitching the trailer, he covers it with a large heavy-duty canvas tarp.

Reiji does one last inspection to make sure that nothing is amiss. Then, when he is satisfied that things are to Keitaro's specifications, he closes the door quite literally on a job well done.

Driving the pick-up back to his parking spot, Keitaro smiles. He cannot wait to see the looks on both Kitsune and Motoko's faces when they get home.

Keitaro and Keiji grab their baskets along with clean clothes and relax in the onsen.

They wait for the others to come home.

Very late in the afternoon…

The activity coming from the front foyer lets the two men of the house know that at least some of the school students are home. The noise of quiet conversations by the backdoor and the taking off shoes are their biggest clues.

Reiji sees Shizuru, along with a windblown Naru, come in as the younger woman is laughing about something that her girlfriend has just said to her.

Mutsumi along with Sarah has Kanako, Motoko, Kaolla and Shinobu in tow. The Okinawan stopped by the Academy to pick up the younger girls.

Mio comes in the door behind everyone else as the residents all place their shoes in the rear foyer box and put on house slippers.

"Okaeri, Minna," says Reiji smiling.

"Tadaima, Reiji-kun," they all respond.

The two youngest girls greet their friend with a hug.

"Reiji-kun, where is Keitaro-sama?" asks Motoko.

"Kei-kun will be here in a few minutes. He wants all of you to wait for him out front in the common room," he says smiling knowingly.

They all go as requested and wait for the owner of the manse to come to greet them.

Tama flies around happily until landing on Mutsumi's head. Grabbing the turtle off her head, she smiles and rubs her nose on Tama's beak.

"Myu, myu, myu," says the turtle.

"That's nice," replies Mutsumi.

Kaolla comes over and kisses the turtle too.

"Do we even want to know," comments Shizuru dubiously as s still has difficulty accepting some of the Okinawan's quirks and that they live with a flying turtle. Kuro also causes her to pause when he actually talks to her. _Sheesh!_

Speaking of Kuro, he curls up in Kanako's lap purring as Motoko and Shinobu greets Shippu over on his stand.

The front door slides open.

"What a day I had, it was busy as hell and I had to deal with a pervert almost right from the start this morning. That fucking hentai," says Kitsune in a loud voice.

The door slides shut.

The Fox sees the others sitting in the common room and waves to everyone. Changing into her house slippers, Kitsune the plops on a couch next to her bedmate.

"So what are we waiting for?" she adds looking around the room.

"You'll see very soon, Kitsune," says a smiling Reiji cryptically.

Kitsune thinks that something is definitely up here.

In the meantime, the girls start sharing the events of their first day in school.

Shinobu shares that she put a bully down on the ground in agony this morning. It was because he was bothering her best friend. Then she hears something come from the entrance to the large kitchen down the hallway.

"Just like I showed you, Shinobu-chan," says Keitaro smiling at the petite chef. He does not get a chance to say another thing as Shinobu rushes him and hugs him tight like always.

"Whoa, this is becoming an everyday occurrence," says Kitsune causing the others to giggle.

"Senpai, I have a favor to ask of you. Can we talk later?" asks Shinobu looking up at her Senpai after releasing him.

"Let's talk after dinner, Shinobu-chan," says Keitaro.

He walks into the common room holding hands with her and pauses for a moment, then smiles. Releasing Shinobu's hand, he comes over to where Kitsune and Motoko are sitting.

"Please, come with me," says Keitaro reaching out to his bedmates.

Taking his hands, they rise off the couch with puzzled looks.

Leading them upstairs to what they believe is somewhere familiar, he releases their hands and without a word slides the door open.

They all step inside and look around.

"Very nice, Kei-kun," says Haruka from the doorway as she and Tsuruko also walk inside.

The residents are all stunned standing in here while looking at the expanded bedroom.

They see all of the custom-made furniture, the new vanities and what looks to be a purpose-built study area for Motoko.

The younger bedmate smiles when she see a new printer for the laptop that he has already given to her.

What really strikes everyone is the huge bed and well-crafted headboard that goes along with it.

Definitely wanting to break this new bed in, it makes Kitsune wet just thinking about having sex with Keitaro here.

Motoko has the same thought as her bedmate as she leans up against Keitaro and takes his hand once more.

"Sarah-chan, I bet we could get lost on a bed like this," says Mio teasing her blonde roommate. She would not mind a continuation of the morning's activities.

The blonde bombshell says nothing as she blushes. _It does give her ideas though…_

Mutsumi and Kanako also think that they would like to have sex with Keitaro here, or each other.

Shizuru and Naru look at each other with a gleam in their eyes. The silver-haired woman whispers into her girlfriend's ear, which also makes the brunette blush.

"Geezus, Kei-kun. I see that you finally want to settle down," says Haruka smiling at him. She cannot wait to see what he will do next.

Later that night, Kitsune and Motoko personally thank Keitaro by breaking the new bed in with him. This threesome almost gets out-of-hand because he has two insatiable women to please and their caterwauling gets very loud at times.

In Mutsumi's bed, Kanako gets a bit jealous at the goings on in the trio's bedroom.

However, everyone else either laughs, giggles or blushes at their shenanigans.

The noise coming from the new bedroom in question lasts until the wee hours of the morning, which leaves some of residents very tired when they get out of bed before sunrise.

Nevertheless, school and work awaits them all.

Keitaro has a huge smile on his face the next morning.

Reiji and the women of the house just groan.

End of Chapter


	8. Revelations and Reconciliations

The Hands of a Man  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Chapter 8: Revelations and Reconciliations

"Senpai, would you be willing to show some of my classmates how to defend themselves?" asks Shinobu. She does not have to give him puppy-dog eyes because he always listens to her. Keitaro could never refuse a request from Shinobu and this one is very easy to fulfill.

"I have no problems with that, Shinobu-chan," says Keitaro, "However, let's start next month after things wind down around here." He receives another one of the petite chef's famous bear hugs.

Little does any of them know that this will be a very interesting September.

Stowing away Keitaro's camp…

After breakfast one Saturday morning, the residents all gather around the communications center and Keitaro's jobs listings. The one that they are all looking at is Keitaro's plan to take his camp down.

Speaking of Keitaro, he had decided to wait until later in the day to tend to his camp because Reiji asked him for a ride into Tokyo so he could buy a car of his own. He has a driver's license, insurance and money so now he just wants his own vehicle.

Reiji feels kind of guilty having other people cart him around all the time, even though they all willingly do this for him.

Haruka is down at her Tea Shoppe with Tsuruko for the afternoon because Kitsune had asked for the day off. The Fox has something special planned for her lover.

The older cousin smiles when Kitsune lets her in on what she wants to do for him. _She knows how much the Fox loves Keitaro._

Reiji is in on this as well.

Now with the two men off the property, Kitsune gathers everyone at Keitaro's camp to help her close it up for the year. It seems that the others chose her to lead this project because the Fox is actually a very good organizer, and like the blonde Princess, she knows where all of his stuff goes. Kitsune also chooses Kaolla to drive Keitaro's medium sized tractor with the lowboy attached to it because of her training with him. After the camp is down and they load up his trailer, they can bring his possessions inside if they cannot store them away in one of his sheds.

The girls then divvy up the other chores by lot and pitch in to put everything away.

Well of course, Kitsune picks the choicest job for herself that is, to fold up and go through all of his clothing. She notices that even his sea bag and footlocker are full of clean items. 'Nothing dirty here,' she laments as she goes through everything so she holds a clean shirt of his against her face and sniffs it.

"Save that for later, Kitsune," says Mio giggling while picking up his sea bag and taking it outside.

His hamper for dirty clothing next to the locker is empty. _Keitaro, for as hard as he works, is a bit of a 'neatnik'._

Motoko likes how clean her Keitaro-sama keeps everything and sees that even his tool sheds are tidy.

"Senpai is really good at keeping his camp just about spotless," says Shinobu noticing that there is no garbage in the receptacle or rotten food in his small fridge. She only has to empty out five bottles of water before unplugging it.

The girls then put his little fridge away into one of the sheds. They slide it underneath a bench after covering it with a small tarpaulin.

"This place is almost as sanitary as a surgery," comments Hana. She agrees with the petite chef's assessment of how tidy their Kanrinin is. The only personal experience she had with a man was with someone who acted like a child and just flung things around 'willy-nilly'. She likes the fact that Keitaro is the opposite of her ex-husband.

Then the young Yuri couple takes his bedding apart. Neither can believe how clean the inside of the tent is. No beer cans, no used tissues on the floor or in the waste can by his desk, nothing. The place is immaculate. Naru looks under Keitaro's bed set-up and cannot believe her eyes.

"Hey, there's no porn under here. I thought all men read porn," says Naru as she and Shizuru fold up his big futon.

The others look at her as she blurts this out. This fact cancels out another misconception that the 'yuri' couple has about men, well one man at least.

Kitsune already knows that Keitaro does not like porn as he has showed her why on many occasions. (Put any dirty thought you have here)

The others look over at where the bed was and see a lack of adult materials anywhere in the tent. They however do see a newer issue of a machinist catalog though and Hana puts on the pile of stuff to go into the Hinata.

"When you've got beautiful women like us at your beck-and-call, you don't need porn. Right, Motoko-chan?" asks Kitsune teasingly as she causes her bedmate to blush bright red.

Kanako and Mutsumi nod because even they have to agree with her innuendo.

Kaolla and Shinobu giggle because they understood what Kitsune was getting at. These two have their own thoughts on this subject.

Hana has a wishful look in her eyes.

All, but the Yuri couple, Mio and Sarah, sigh before getting back to pulling the stakes up on his camp.

The folded up futon is loaded onto the lowboy along with Keitaro's footlocker and coat rack.

"These will go into a storage room inside of the Hinata next to one of Kei-kun's shops," says Kitsune.

They pull the woodstove and its pipe out of the tent next. The women all notice that he has not used it because the weather was unusually hot this past summer. Thankfully, it is light enough so just four of them can carry it into the same shed as the fridge. Shinobu takes care of the light chimney pipe.

The desk is next as it is folded and loaded aboard the trailer along with the stool.

"I'll take this over to the Hinata myself," says Kitsune grabbing the old kerosene lamp. _She knows how much the lamp means to her lover._

The last three things to finish out the job are taking down the hammock, tending to the fire pit and pulling down the tent.

Motoko and Mio take down the hammock. They neatly fold it before placing it under the bench in his biggest shed. This is so that next year Keitaro can get it out if he wants to. Four of those standing here have wistful looks at the hammock before they stored it away.

From her Senpai's fire pit, Shinobu pulls up the grate and inspects it. An old style coffee pot and a western style skillet are all that was on it. They are clean as he maintained them very well, just like everything else he owns. These two field-cooking items seem to be prized possessions of his as well, so Shinobu will put them away in a special place in her kitchen, where he can use them at his convenience.

The stones and slate will remain in the ground.

Shinobu grabs a garbage bag just to put in the past remnants of campfires and places it on the back of the lowboy for the dumpster.

The last thing they need to take down is the tent, and Sarah is the choice to lead this project. She has had previous experience with this, so Kitsune defers to her. _Since it is her beloved Kei-kun's tent, the Fox takes this task very seriously._ Sarah organizes the others and shows them how to take the thing down without getting hurt, or at the very least, overstraining themselves.

All of them take part in getting Keitaro's outside home stowed away.

"Good memories, Sarah-chan?" asks Mutsumi who is also smiling.

"There were a lot of good memories in here, Senpai," answers the blonde American, "None of them were with Keitaro though." _She has only seen Keitaro as an Onii-san since she was little._

Together, they then roll Keitaro's tent onto the very back of the lowboy and haul it over to the same shed as the hammock. Kaolla backs the trailer up to the edge of the door as they roll it down the ramp and into the shed. Everyone pushes it against the back wall.

With this done, they all head to the backdoor of the Hinata. The girls drop some of Keitaro stuff off putting the majority of it in the storage room. The rest goes into the upstairs bedroom that he shares with Kitsune and Motoko.

"It may be just me, but did anyone else see the Kitsune sitting on top of one of Senpai's woodpiles? It seems to have been looking at what we were doing," says Shinobu.

"What, we've got to put up with two of them now," answers Kanako sarcastically causing the others to laugh.

"No, Kanako-Senpai," says Shinobu pointing to the pile where she saw the fox, "I mean I thought I saw a real one."

"Nope. Unlike what Kanako just said, Shinobu-chan," says this Kitsune with a huge smile, "I'm the real deal."

There is a fox looking at them from the edge of a heavier tree line. _It disappears after a moment though._

Just as the tractor moves to its last destination, the girls hear Keitaro's pick-up coming up back road. They drop what they are doing when they see Reiji in a brand new Honda™ two-door coupe.

The two men park in the lot as the tenants come over to greet them.

Keitaro smiles when he sees that the women here have taken his camp down swiftly and very efficiently. _This is a big job off his 'to-do' list._

"Great job, minna. It saves me from having to tackle this later," says Keitaro looking over to where his camp was.

With the Tea Shoppe closed, the last two residents join with the others to see Reiji's new car.

Kitsune and Motoko take turns kissing him. They do not get a chance to glom onto his arms as Mutsumi and Kanako step in for a kiss too. The latter two outdo his bedmates and this has everyone else laughing.

Everyone except for the two aforementioned bedmates.

"Let me show you how it's done," says Haruka grabbing Tsuruko. She puts a real clinic on for the other with their kiss smoky using a lot of tongue.

"You win," says Kitsune acquiescing after it drags on. She is getting slightly jealous of her employer.

Tsuruko smiles brightly after Haruka finishes with her.

The others are in awe and Shinobu turns bright red.

They all laugh.

"Now that we're all here, who wants to go out for pizza tonight? My treat," says Keitaro without missing a beat, "I want to take you all out as a thank you for doing such a great job."

After putting everything away, everyone cleans up and go out for an evening of fun.

Later that same day, shortly after dark…

Unbeknownst to those living at the Hinata, a man on the other side of Osaka is standing just outside of a traditional Japanese house looking up at the stars. He is thinking about all that he is lost over that past few years and hopes to, at the very least, regain something of his mostly empty life.

However, he learns that nothing is as bad as it seems.

His Onii-san knew of his state and welcomed him back to his old home with open arms. He reconciled with his Otō-san and Imouto-san before going back to work at his first love, auto mechanics.

He wants to reconcile with his wife and two children as well. The man realizes that his marriage will be a tough one to salvage, but he is hopeful. His children though...

His children it seems had rejected the old ways that he never really accepted just a short while before him leaving the Aoyama compound. However, even though they are no longer legally his, he wants to ask their forgiveness for not being a supportive father when they needed him the most, and for being a weak man.

Along with that, he wants to seal the empty hole in his heart before he can truly go on with his life. With his real family giving him the love and support that he needs, the man is on his way to becoming 'whole' once more.

Now is the time for this man to plan and act so he can regain the heart that others had recently ripped away from him.

Then, the man does something that he has not done in many years, while looking up at those stars in the sky, he smiles warmly.

The truth finally comes out…

The first Saturday afternoon in October is a day full of chores around the environs of the Hinata.

Keitaro splits up the chores and those who are here all join in.

The grounds of the Hinata are the territory of Keitaro, Kanako and Kaolla.

The first floor and dining room cleaning will be the job of Shinobu, Mio, and Sarah.

The second floor is Naru and Shizuru's responsibility.

The third floor is for Reiji to do.

Motoko has the common room.

Haruka, Tsuruko and Kitsune are quite busy in the Tea Shoppe on this particular morning so the others go on without them.

Hana is on call at the hospital as the surgery nurse today, so she too will be gone until evening.

Meanwhile, an older lime green Mercedes-Benz™ SEL four-door sedan comes up the back way unseen by the three outdoor workers because they are in the back property with the log-splitter on. The noise easily masks the sound of a diesel-powered engine as it drives past some of Keitaro's storage areas and the Dojo.

The look on the man's face at all of the wonders of the Hinata Hill gives him an inkling of the uphill battle he has about to face. Last night, at the inn he stayed at, no one noticed the tears that he cried alone in his room. When he left the place this morning all traces of his tears were gone from his face.

He is here at last.

The vehicle goes unnoticed even when the driver parks it in the lot. Since the sun is still up, the proximity alarms do not sound off.

The occupant of the vehicle double-checks the map that his nephew had given to him with the new back road on it. The young teen downloaded it from a satellite map showing things that existing maps do not even show yet. The topographical map had the satellite image superimposed over it, which gets him to the hill road without any problems. It seems his nephew did a great job of research in making this map for him.

Stepping out of his vehicle, the man stands next to his car looking at the backside of updated Hinata in awe.

'Keitaro-sama has done a great job in fixing up the old place,' thinks the occupant of the car. The man checks himself to see if he is presentable before meeting the heir of the most prestigious clan in all of Japan. He is dressed in a plain tan pullover with jeans along with a brown leather jacket and slip-on deck shoes.

Trying to gather the courage to walk over the bridge and approach the backdoor, he wants to tell two people in this house his real story. His Onii-san and Imouto-san encouraged him to come here personally to the Hinata and confront something that if he had a little more courage, this situation would not even exist. Now, with his real families' love and backing, he has come here to win back the love of his two daughters.

_Knock! Knock!_

Motoko finishes cleaning the glass to the sliding glass door of the onsen when she hears that there is a visitor at the backdoor. _She does not know it yet, but this visitor will fill in many of the holes in her life as well._

"Otō-san," says a very surprised Motoko after sliding open the traditional door. _He is probably the last person that she had ever expected to see._ The biggest thing that Motoko notices is how different he looks.

"Before you close the door in my face, Motoko-chan," says the man rather quickly, "I have a lot to tell you and your Onee-san. Is Tsuruko-chan here by-the-way?" _He is afraid she will close the door on him._

Motoko stays quiet for a moment to hear him out.

"There are things about me that you don't know and were never told by our former clan, Motoko-chan," he adds just as rapidly, "The biggest thing of all, like you I am no longer of the Aoyama."

This last statement surprises her.

"One moment, please," says Motoko going for her radio. Tuning to the proper channel, she says, "Ane-ue, can you please come up to the Hinata common room right now? There is something here that you really need to see." She keeps her message vague.

"What's wrong, Motoko-han?" says Tsuruko with concern in her voice.

The man motions to Motoko so she will not tell her Onee-san that he is here until she sees him for herself.

She nods in agreement after remembering the sit down she had with her, Haruka and her Keitaro-sama.

"I'll tell you when you get here, Ane-ue," answers Motoko neutrally.

"Come in," says Motoko to her Otō-san evenly allowing him to enter the rear foyer.

Looking around, he sees the new kitchen and dining room while taking his shoes off. Hanging his jacket on a new coat rack hung by Keitaro, he puts on the slippers that Motoko hands him before stepping inside any further.

After doing thus, he also notices the cool tone that his younger daughter uses with him, as she did not call him Otō-san for a second time. With everything that has occurred involving the Aoyama since the previous spring, he cannot blame her for reacting that way.

As they head to the common room, Motoko notices is that her Otō-san has blisters and calluses on his hands. Two of his fingernails have blood bruises in them and he has some fresh scars on his fingers. This is very different from how smooth his hands used to be. _They were smooth since he did not train with a Katana or Bokken._

She will soon find out why...

Having arrived at the destination, she motions for him to sit on the big couch and it is very quiet until Tsuruko arrives.

Motoko sits on a couch across from him and does not look at her Tou-san.

Two people come in the front door. They take their shoes off and hang their jackets up.

"What's wrong…, oh, I see. What do you want here, Aoyama?" asks Tsuruko angrily. _She is glad that Haruka is here at her side._

Haruka has not seen her lover go off like this since she came here to live permanently after arriving from Kyoto. Like her lover and Motoko, she too will be learning some new things.

Surprising all three women here, the man stands and bows to them.

After sitting back down, the man takes a nervous deep breath and starts in with his tale, "I am longer Aoyama. I left them right after Urashima Nagisa-san announced that my two daughters were to become Urashima. That was the last straw and I could not put up with their bullshit any more. You, my older daughter, when you declared that you were gay after the last Omiai I understood that very well. However, the Aoyama elders ordered me to keep silent when they disowned you. When you left, it ripped my heart out. Nevertheless, my prayers have always been with you. Now, I will tell you what my real name is as those people forbade me to tell you about my own family because at that time I could only tell you that they had all died."

Pausing to catch his breath, he sees that the three are paying rapt attention to his words.

"Now that the shit with them is finally over with, I will tell you that my real name is Tamashiro Hiroshi and that I now reside in Osaka. You have an Ojii-san, an Oji-san named Sato who is my Onii-san and an Oba-san named Riisa who is my Imouto-chan. Sato-san has four children, two boys and two girls that would just love to meet you two."

Hiroshi pauses again to let the news sink in…

"Here is the thing that really tears at me. My Imouto-chan is a lesbian like you my daughter. I am a weak man Tsuruko-chan for not standing up for you then, so I personally came here to beg your forgiveness. For thirty years, I had allowed them to strip my manhood away and did absolutely nothing to stop them from doing so."

Keitaro interrupts him when he comes in from the main first floor hallway and sees that there are four people sitting in his common room.

Hiroshi stands and bows to the lord of the house, as he knows that Keitaro is the Urashima heir. Then says to him, "Please forgive me for entering your home unannounced, Urashima-sama. However, I need to talk to my daughters about their other family, my family and to beg their forgiveness."

Keitaro's quiet entrance, and the man bowing to him surprises the three women sitting here a second time.

"All I want right now is to hear the rest of your tale, Tamashiro-san," says Keitaro before turning to his two companions, "Shinobu-chan, Kaolla-chan please go and ask the others not to come into the common room until I radio an all clear."

Silently, the two signal that they will do what he asks. The two girls run out of the common room and head up the main stairs.

Keitaro comes in and sits next to Motoko who takes his hand.

"Please continue, Tamashiro-san," says Keitaro. He wants to hear the rest of Hiroshi's story.

"Thank you, Urashima-sama. Like I said, Tsuruko-chan," says Hiroshi looking at his older daughter, "Riisa-chan is a lesbian like you. She and her girlfriend have been together as a couple since they were fifteen. Your Ojii-san has accepted this and has even given them his blessing because he loves her. The Aoyama forbade me to mention that she had existed to either one of you. Another reason that they did not allow me to mention anything about my family to you is that the Tamashiro are not from the upper class. The Tamashiro is a working class family and small business owners. Your Ojii-san is a retired official who worked in the Osaka Prefecture government for many years. My Onii-san, his wife and children along with Riisa-chan and her lover run diverse businesses for our family. One of them is an auto repair shop. We also have a small grocery store and vegetable stand that does very well. Riisa-chan and her girlfriend run two convenience stores. Since leaving the Aoyama, I have returned to auto mechanics. I find that I love it. That is why my hands look so rough right now. The hard work I do now feels a hell of a lot better to me than any prestige I might have had staying with the Aoyama, but we all know how phony that turned out to be."

He pauses for a moment to drink some water from a bottle that Motoko got for him. The young woman is finding out many new things about her Otō-san and this knowledge is allowing her attitude to soften towards him.

"Arigato gozaimasu, Motoko-chan," says Hiroshi before continuing, "now where was I? Oh yes, the day after your Ōoba-san Nagisa-san had given the Urashima declaration to the Aoyama. (_Hiroshi looks at Keitaro_) I had had enough of them, so I got up from the dais threw off my Haori and never looked back. It gave them quite a shock to see that I was wearing an old Led Zeppelin tee shirt under it. (_Those gathered in the common room all snicker at this_) Hey, by that time I did not give a shit anymore because they had ripped my heart out. Another thing, do either of you remember when I would take one of my walks out to the back property?" he asks his two daughters.

"I remember you telling me you wanted to be alone," answers Tsuruko looking at her Otō-san. She too is becoming less angry with this man as he continues his story.

"Me too," responds Motoko agreeing with her.

"Well, here's the reason why, my daughters. I had a car in the old horse shed back there by the ancient west gate. It's the same car that's parked in your lot right now, Urashima-sama," says Hiroshi smiling at this revelation, "That car was a gift to me from my Otō-san when I had graduated from Osaka University. The police confiscated the car from the Yakuza. Your Ojii-san called in a favor and got it for me. I re-painted that car with your Oji-san's help from the black color it was to the lime-green color it is now. Then we got new plates for it so the original owners could not find it. The car stayed in that shed for many years where I secretly maintained it. The looks on the faces of the Aoyama when I drove it out the front gate was a sight-to-behold. Especially after they saw me laughing as I drove away."

At the end of Hiroshi's story, Tsuruko and Motoko do not know what to think as his story is nothing like how the Aoyama had portrayed him back at the compound. After everything else that has happened with them lately it is not hard for them to believe what he just said. The elders of the Aoyama had deprived them of their Otō-san's love all because of fucking clan status and politics.

He mentions nothing to them about their Okā-san at this time. _That part of his tale is still in limbo._

Both women feel shame once more for being Aoyama at one time.

Together, Tsuruko and Motoko go over to Hiroshi, hug him and cry on his shoulders. They are happy to know that they have family in Osaka, and blood-related kin at that. _So much for the Aoyama._

Something is happening here that none of them in this lifetime had ever expected, that is, that they are now reconciling with each other.

"May I call you Otō-san again?" asks Tsuruko. The elder daughter comes to realize that she and Motoko have never really known him. The elders of the Aoyama used to say that he was too busy with other matters to have much time with them. Now she knows that it was because he was lowborn.

Hiroshi nods and smiles.

"I've grown up without knowing my Otō-san and that ends right now. Although I am an Urashima, I want to be your daughter again if I may?" asks Motoko still holding onto her father. She looks over at her lover.

"You'll always be my daughter, Motoko-chan," says Hiroshi. He kisses her forehead.

"Tamashiro-san, you have two great daughters sitting here. I would never want to deprive them of their real father's love and after listening to your story, I do not want to deprive you of their love either. That would be too harsh after the shit you have been through lately," says Keitaro who is willing to accept the man's word. _Keitaro is a very good judge of character._

"Urashima-sama, please call me Hiroshi. I'm just a plain and simple man as you can see," says Hiroshi sitting between his two daughters holding their hands.

"Well then Hiroshi, call me Keitaro. I have never been one to stand on ceremony as you can see. Anyone here will tell you what I think of bullshit," says Keitaro matter-of-fact.

The older man breathes easier as he has made peace with the two out of the three most important people in his life. They have accepted him back into their lives and so for the first time in many years, he has a genuine smile on his face.

"One last thing, Hiroshi. Would you like to stay for dinner and enjoy a relaxing soak in the onsen here? I also would like you to spend the night as a guest of the Hinata," says Keitaro. He sees his younger lover smile at him, "you can even spend time getting to know your daughters once more before you leave."

"I'd like to call my family back in Osaka," entreats Hiroshi, "just to let them know how things went today and that you've invited me stay the night".

The two sisters go with their Otō-san into Keitaro's office, so that they can talk to their newfound family for the first time. Keitaro hands the man his cell phone and watches as he dials a number. After it connects, there is a short conversation and Hiroshi looks over at Keitaro.

"My Otō-san would like to see his granddaughters for the first time, if he may," requests Hiroshi.

Nodding in ascent, Keitaro walks into his office and fires up the computer. It has a built-in camera that they can use. Next, he steps out of his office and closes the door behind him so that they can have some privacy.

Tsuruko takes over from here.

After a minute, Hiroshi talks to the rest of his family in Osaka on the phone as Tsuruko gets the two-way camera fired up. This is so she and Motoko can finally meet their other family.

When the computer's camera comes on, it shows them an elderly man who until just a few moments before was totally unknown to them.

Hiroshi smiles and turns off the phone as his Otō-san's face comes into view. _He is pleased that his daughters finally get to meet his family._

Tsuruko and Motoko see their Ojii-san for the first time and smile. Their faces light up as they formally introduce themselves to the head of the Tamashiro.

Tamashiro Ojii-san sees that he has two more granddaughters who are beautiful and hopes that he can spoil them in the future. He wants to see them in person before he gets too much older.

The siblings learn that they have a cousin by the name of Jun, who says hello to them. He seems to be an electronics whiz kid just like Kaolla and is the one responsible for setting the camera hookup on the other end.

With this accomplished, the old man shoos Jun out of the way. Tamashiro Ojii-san just wants to see his newfound granddaughters.

Tsuruko is very happy when her Riisa Oba-san comes into view and introduces herself. The two promise to meet each other soon with their girlfriends.

Meanwhile, in the common room…

Haruka smiles as Keitaro gives the signal for 'all clear'.

The other residents file in to find out what was going on.

Keitaro informs everyone that a guest will be staying for dinner this evening and will be lodging here overnight.

To the tenants who have lived here the longest, it is a big surprise when he tells them who the guest is.

"I always knew that there was something bothering Hiroshi-san," says Reiji after finding out about Hiroshi's visit, "I'm just glad that he's happier now. He always seemed to be a rather decent sort of fellow."

The two siblings come out of the office with their Otō-san and introduce him to the others.

Things are a little different at the dinner table this evening, as all of the residents get to know Hiroshi.

Motoko sits next to her Keitaro-sama, and then it is her Otō-san with Tsuruko and Haruka on his other side.

Having not laughed so much in years, Hiroshi tells everyone that he works at his Onii-san's garage doing the lighter jobs like oil-changes and putting on new tires. He is re-learning many of the skills that he had forgotten as his cousin Nobu teaches him about working on newer cars.

Reiji has a small discussion with Hiroshi and both agree that the Aoyama will soon be extinct due to their own stupidity. Moreover, neither one of them is sad about this eventuality in the least.

Hiroshi has a sad thought about his beloved wife though…

After a wonderful dinner and the kitchen cleanup, everyone heads out to the onsen. They want to learn more about their guest.

Borrowing a pair of shorts from Reiji, Hiroshi sits with his daughters and the two ask him more questions about their family. He tells them everything that they wish to know.

The conversation then moves to the common where it continues until after midnight.

Slowly, the younger ones peel off and go to bed.

Keitaro gives Hiroshi the use of a comfortable room on the third floor on the other side of the Hinata. _For the first time in many years, he sleeps peacefully._

The next morning, Hiroshi gets ready to leave for the trip home.

Instead of working out as is their usual, Keitaro and Shinobu make a large breakfast buffet in honor of Hiroshi. The variety, quality and quantity of food just blows him away, for a second time.

After the meal, the petite chef makes him a bento of leftovers so he can eat well on his way home.

Hiroshi smiles and thanks her.

Reiji shakes the man's hand, wishes him well, and says that he hopes to see him again soon. The two then bow to each other.

He also bows to all of the residents.

"Haruka-san, please take care of my daughter. I am glad that she has a wonderful partner like you to share her life with now. I give my blessing for your happiness together," says Hiroshi acting like an Otō-san giving his daughter away at a wedding and hugs both women as they thank him.

"Keitaro-sama, I've always known how much Motoko-chan loves you. Please take care of my little girl," he says bowing to the lord of the house.

Motoko hugs and thanks her Otō-san for his blessing.

Keitaro bows in return and then shakes the man's hand. He tells Hiroshi that he will always take care of her.

They all step outback and cross over the small bridge while walking Hiroshi over to his car. After one last kiss on the cheek from his daughters, and a promise from them to come to Osaka, the man departs with a heart that is rapidly healing.

Aftermath…

"I never knew," says Tsuruko. She is holding hands with Haruka as they walk down the steps to check up on the Tea Shoppe.

Since it is the odd Sunday, the place is closed. For some reason, the taller woman feels very good right now and wants to have sex with her girlfriend upstairs.

Haruka smiles at her lover's suggestion.

After coming in the back door, she turns off the alarm and leads her lover upstairs.

The two have some of the most passionate Sapphic sex since they have been a couple.

"Oh Kami, Tsu-chan. That was incredible," says Haruka happily. _The naked lovers are in the midst of their afterglow._

She has not seen her Tsuruko-chan be this dominant or forceful with her in a very long time.

_Haruka loved every second of it._

"I love you, my Haru-chan," says Tsuruko holding the shorter woman close to her.

"I love you too, my Tsu-chan," responds Haruka as she snuggles deeper into her lover's arms.

Now, Tsuruko feels a total freedom from all things Aoyama.

A pleasant surprise for all…

After another great lunch, the residents want to go for a quiet walk as a group. A good stretch of the legs out in the back property will help everyone decompress after all of the events that has been bombarding them lately.

Shizuru personally loves the walks around the Hinata Hill that she and Naru take together when they can. The walks are a great way for them to relax and empty their brains after a long day at school.

Naru has been both doing her homework and studying for the Tokyo U entrance exam. The brunette beauty is glad that she has her girlfriend and the others here to help her study. _Having great eyesight now helps as well._

Even Kaolla is abnormally quiet right now and seems to be handling things pretty well. The Princess is going to be fifteen next month and will be graduating high school next spring. Being a teenager is causing some unforeseen conflicts within her, but her Onii-chan is very respectful of her feelings. This is helping her transition from being a wild girl, who is an erratic genius, into becoming a more responsible young woman. _She is falling in love with Keitaro._

Before going outside, Keitaro wraps up something in a piece of plastic wrap and puts the bundle into his jacket pocket.

By the backdoor, the others put on their shoes and bundle up for the cooler weather outside.

They then all head out into the wonders of Hinata Hill.

Keitaro has Kitsune and Motoko draped on his arms, which is now a common occurrence.

Right behind the linking arms are Hana, Kanako and Mutsumi. The three enjoy themselves with small talk and snickering.

Mio and Sarah are having a nice quiet conversation about school and the antics of the twin's younger sibling.

Reiji, holding hands with Shinobu and Kaolla, smiles at having his two young friends with him. He regales them with more tales from his daily soaps and afternoon talk shows. Animated as always, Reiji causes a lot of laughter when he talks about the silliness of daytime TV from Tokyo and Yokohama. They are enrapt by the tales he spins about the stars he saw this past week during his daily ritual, and shares with them that all three pets join him when his shows are on.

The 'yuri' couples bring up the rear, as both walk together side-by-side. The four are very quiet and mostly pay attention to their lover.

Naru has Shizuru's arm, exchanging little kisses with the woman she loves. They sometimes seem to be in their own little world when they walk outside together.

It amuses Tsuruko and Haruka to see the lovey-dovey antics of the other two as both see how much the silver-haired woman loves her brunette girlfriend.

The older residents all marvel at how much the top of Hinata Hill has changed since Keitaro had moved in. The eyesore that was the old Annex no longer exists. Keitaro tore it down so nothing remains but cleared land and steaming water.

"The old clock tower that was in the middle of it was so out of place," says Reiji. He remembers visiting there as a little boy.

"Kana-chan, our Otō-san wants to build a house over there. The onsen there is even large than the Hinata's," says Keitaro pointing in that direction.

"Okā-san told me that he was considering that too, Onii-chan," responds Kanako with a smile.

Everyone looks over where the old structure used to be and see the steam rising with the cooler weather.

"How much bigger is that onsen, Kei-kun?" asks Hana.

"It's about three to four times larger than the one we use, Hana. It's also the source of the hot water that runs into ours," answers Keitaro pointing to a pump house off to the side, "That's where all of the machinery is that brings us the warm water that we all enjoy. The people who installed it did such a good job that I have only had to tweak the pumps a little on a couple of occasions. The ceramic pipes are all original and we are standing near some of them now."

"Ceramic ones will last a lot longer than steel because they won't rust, 'Onii-chan'," chimes in Kaolla backing up what Keitaro just said.

"Minna-san, look. The Kitsune I told you about is sitting over there on that tree stump," says Shinobu pointing excitedly. The sighting of a wild fox is very special and people in Japan consider it a sign of good luck. The petite chef hopes it is a good yōkai from the god Inari. Possibly a zenko that will bring them all good luck. (Writer's note: Yōkai=spirit, zenko=a benevolent, celestial fox spirit/opposite would be a yako=malevolent fox spirit)

"Hello, my friend," says Keitaro. He steps away from the group and confidently approaches the wild animal. The fox shows no fear of Keitaro as he comes closer, pulls out the small bundle from his jacket pocket and opens it. Whatever was in there, the fox eats the contents quickly before Keitaro puts the plastic wrap back into his pocket. Without turning around, Keitaro says, "Slowly, come on over and say hello to my friend. She kept me company during my trek to the back of the hill last summer."

The fox stands her ground and tolerates the attention from the Hinata residents. She trusts Keitaro, even though this goes against her natural instincts to run away from all humans and back into the relative safety of the forest. When the residents start to pet, stroke and hug her, she allows them to do so without flinching.

"My friend, you're welcome to stay with me in my home. You will be warm, well fed and never be alone. Come when you're ready," says Keitaro smiling. He talks to the vixen as if she actually understands him.

As he scratches behind her ears, she rubs his callused hand with her muzzle. _Keitaro knows that she is marking him._

For the rest of the walk, the fox shadows them before heading off to the woods just before sundown. _They will all see her again very soon._

O-tsukimi, the fall harvest festival and the final farmer's market this year…

Keitaro, Haruka and Kanako decorate Urashima family shrine and leave a plate of sweet potatoes with some incense in front of the main altar. During the first full moon of October, many families still hold this celebration even though not many in Japan do anymore. Keitaro gets into the mood for this ancient holiday because the Urashima are by tradition, Shinto. They even eat the old-fashioned foods that accompany it with their usual dinner.

The group is going to go up to the open deck on the Hinata after dark to view the full moon. The sky is clear as it comes up over the horizon and makes a spectacular show for them.

The next morning, Keitaro hooks up the stake-sided trailer to his medium tractor. Everyone is going for a ride to the open-air farmers market on the edge of Hinata City. It is less than a kilometer from the Hill's back road. He puts in some low benches in the back securing them along the front and sides. This is so everyone can be relatively comfortable when they all go tomorrow.

He sees that the girls may have a difficult time climbing in and out of the trailer because of its height. Taking a cue from this, he goes into his workshop and searches the woodpile for the right lengths. Measuring out two of the longer boards, he rips them down for the proper width.

Kaolla sees him working away and asks, "May I help you, Onii-chan?"

"Come on in, Kaolla-chan. Your timing is perfect," he replies smiling at the princess.

Seeing the apron and goggles that she has used before, Kaolla puts them on and gets right to work.

Keitaro has her hold things still for him while he assembles the ladder. He measures and cuts the treads to size. For strength, Keitaro draws lines on the main boards and routs a groove for the treads to sit in.

After he drills out the pilot holes, Kaolla installs and tightens the bolts with a box-end ratchet.

Keitaro does not want to over-torque the bolts, so they tighten it together by hand.

Putting on masks, Keitaro watches as she spray coats some lacquer onto the wood.

Finishing that, the two carpenters step outside and share a soda together as his large fume extractor does its work.

When their break is over, he finds some adhesive non-skid treads to cover the rungs so that no one will slip on the freshly varnished wood.

Happy with the results, they leave the new ladder on his bench to dry overnight, so it can be of use in the morning.

Thanking Kaolla for her help, he hangs up both of their aprons and safety goggles.

She takes his hand so they can go freshen up for dinner.

Bright-and-early…

Everyone dresses warmly and carries out blankets to cover their legs after climbing up into the trailer.

Shinobu brings thermoses of hot coffee and cocoa along with some good quality tea for them to enjoy on the trip down the hill.

Haruka finds some good European brandy and Sake hidden away in her liquor cabinet for those who want a snort of something stronger.

Climbing up first, Reiji lends a hand to the others.

Kaolla kneels on the middle of the front bench and faces forward. She hangs on this way to watch her Onii-chan drive.

"Be careful that you don't get a ticket for driving too slow, Kei-kun," says Haruka teasing him.

She is holding hands with Tsuruko and is in a very good mood. Her girlfriend was very aggressive with again last night, so Haruka's wit is in top form today.

The others snicker at her sarcasm.

Smiling, he knows Haruka is getting her digs in as he puts the tractor into gear and heads down the back road.

The drive is a pleasant one, and after getting near to the open-air market, everyone climbs down before splitting up into smaller groups. They are here to have as much fun as possible.

Kaolla and Shinobu of course, drag Reiji off by his arms to visit the food booths.

The older women mingle with the townsfolk who are here.

It is a good crowd at the market and there is plenty of merchandise to buy here. The different vendors here are selling food, candy, baked goods and apparel. Some things are seasonal and some are not, it is all for fun. _This is also the last open air market until the next spring._

"Reiji-kun, would you help me with this rice please?" asks Shinobu who has just purchased a good-sized bag of freshly harvested locally grown rice.

"Sure, let me see that. OOF! Could this thing be any heavier?" asks Reiji half-groaning and half-laughing while attempting to pick up the bag.

"Let me help you with that, Reiji-kun," says Keitaro smiling at his cousin who takes Shinobu's purchase from Reiji. Knowing that his cousin is not very strong, he knows that the man would do anything to help the two younger girls.

"Oh thank you, Kei-kun. You just saved me from a major hernia," says Reiji melodramatically fanning himself and getting giggles from his two friends.

"Be right back, minna," says Keitaro.

Taking the bundle, he heads over to the trailer.

Upon arrival, and hefting the bundle up on his shoulder, he climbs into the trailer before sliding it under a bench in the front so it will not interfere with anyone sitting down.

There is a bit of a scuffle when Keitaro returns to the market.

A crowd gathers around the front of a booth with Mutsumi and Mio in the midst of it. On the ground, being held in a perfect finger hold and arm bar by Hana, is a short mousy looking man who is issuing threats and swearing his head off.

"I told you to never to bother me again, you son-of-a-bitch!" says Hana to the man on the ground. _It is unusual to hear her talk this loud._

"I just wanted to see you again, baby. That's all," says the man grimacing as the Hana maintains the pressure.

Keitaro stands back for a moment and admires the perfect technique that Hana is using to inflict pain as she keeps the man in an awkward position.

"I'm no longer the wife that you used to slap around," says Hana while the petite woman begins to increase the pressure on the man's wrist and elbow. She makes it even more painful for him by shifting her weight and standing on his other hand.

He screams again before Keitaro comes over to take over from his tenant before she snaps his wrist off.

"So, you're the fucking piece of shit that likes to beat on women, huh," says Keitaro who has been looking forward to getting a piece of this man.

Hana releases the hold on her ex.

"Hey, you big ape. I'm trying to talk to my wife here," the man says arrogantly trying to shake some life back into his arm. He does not realize his predicament or to whom he is talking with here.

"I'm not your wife anymore!" screams Hana once again while looking at him. She is on the verge of grabbing his arm again when...

"Why I oughta…," is all the man says before Hana clocks him one onto what seems like a 'glass jaw'.

Surprising everyone here, he goes down like a sack of shit.

"Gomenasai, Kei-kun," says Hana angrily, "That's what he used to say before starting in on me."

Keitaro holds her back before she kills the man and looks down at the petite woman in his arms smiling before releasing her.

Hana's heart is pounding very hard as the adrenaline just flows through her veins after she had decked her ex. This ordeal visibly shakes Hana, so Mutsumi and Mio help her.

Keitaro deals with the other half of this situation and picks the unconscious man off the ground by his collar. He slaps the man's cheek to bring him back around.

"Hey, asshole! Where's your fucking car?" asks an extremely agitated Keitaro as he half drags the semi-conscious man off in the direction to where the parking lot is.

In fear for his life, the man shows Keitaro where he parked his car without giving the larger man any more guff.

Keitaro grabs him by the lapels and picks him up off the ground before saying, "Hana-san is my tenant now and under the protection of the Urashima. If you ever stalk her again and I find out…," as Keitaro calmly ends the sentence with a promise that goes unsaid.

Keitaro lets the man down straightening his jacket out before stepping back.

He hears the name Urashima and realizes right then, that he is in way over his head.

Quickly, the man takes the keys out of his pocket, hops into his car and gets the hell out of there. The man is lucky to have escaped with his life. He knows that messing with the Urashima is much worse than with the Yakuza.

The excitement quickly wears off and the crowd disperses.

It is now just the Hinata crew standing there with Hana.

Haruka is giving the petite woman a snort of brandy.

The adrenaline rush wears off and her legs give way but Keitaro catches her when she faints. Carrying her bridal style over to the trailer, he asks Mutsumi to come along since she is a nursing student.

Keitaro feels Hana snuggling into his muscular arms and smiles. _Shit, she is a good-looking woman so why would he not._ Mutsumi giggles next to them.

"I think we've all had enough excitement for one day," says Reiji. Everyone nods in agreement, so without another word, they all load up into the trailer and head home.

Out of this episode, two people begin to form a very close friendship.

Later in her room, Hana wakes up to see the smiling face of Mutsumi, she is in her own bed and the Okinawan is sitting next to her holding her hand. Hana sits up and the two women have a long talk.

Four weeks later, a much happier time…

The next month between the middle of October to the middle of November brings no new excitement to the residents of the Hinata. The sameness, the boring and the everyday is what everyone is praying for right now.

For once, that is what they all get.

Naru and Kaolla receive their nationwide college mock entrance exam scores back. The two teens rank number one and two in the nation.

As a reward, Shizuru takes her girlfriend out for a romantic evening in Tokyo that includes dinner and dancing at upscale restaurant. The two do not show up again until late the next day.

Keitaro and Kaolla go out to the fanciest Indian style place in the big city. He laughs when she says that the food here is finally spicy enough for her to enjoy. Calmly, he orders something that is slightly milder.

One night when the weather turns colder, the fox from the hill shows up at Keitaro's workshop and paws at the door.

Keitaro opens the door, smiles and lets her come in.

Without hesitation, the vixen enters and sits in the corner.

Keitaro puts an ad hoc bed together from an old box he gets from his storeroom along with a soft blanket.

"I'll make you the softest bed a fox could ever hope to sleep on tomorrow my friend. For now though, this will have to do," says Keitaro. The vixen crawls into bed and falls asleep.

The next morning he keeps his word. When finished, he places her bed in the common room near Shippu's main perch.

In their own way, the four animals introduce themselves and seem to get along very well right from the start.

Mutsumi and Kanako think that they can hear what the four are talking about when they congregate amongst themselves. Though feral, the fox knows her place in the Hinata right away and still follows Keitaro everywhere he goes when they are outside together.

Reiji feeds her good quality raw meat when he feeds the other pets. She seems to enjoy hanging with the other animals when the male domestic watches his soaps.

Fun for all…

Training in the Urashima arts goes smoothly for Shinobu's classmates.

The residents think it is funny to see young hormonal teenage boys sitting on the Dojo floor drooling as they introduced themselves. They are blushing and squirming due to their erections.

The two Yuri couples find this situation quite amusing for some reason. Neither seem offended if Shinobu's male classmates find them attractive. Being around Keitaro and Reiji, Shizuru and Naru have loosened up from their old man-hating ways.

Sarah feels the most uneasy as the boys stare at her the most.

"Must be your huge tits, sweetie," whispers Mio trying not to laugh.

The girls who came here tonight feel slightly jealous and a bit envious. It is because they have yet to develop like some of Shinobu's roommates and feel somewhat inadequate.

Kitsune, understanding the situation, uses some of her raucous humor to help the young teenage girls feel better at ease.

"I was flatter than you at your age," says the Fox looking over at Akiko.

She lightens the air in here as the lessons begin.

_Let us just leave what the boys did afterwards in the locker room to the imagination._

The first class goes well and so does the next three times that they get together.

Shinobu gets high praise from her classmates.

Haruka loves the fact that her beloved cousin is now taking an active interest in the lives of other people.

From the heart…

Keitaro has it in mind to spoil the youngest resident rotten again. Her birthday is coming up on the fifteenth of the month and there is no way he is going to forget it.

He sees that Shinobu needs a new desk to keep her schoolwork and recipes organized. With this in mind, Keitaro goes into his workshop to start on his most secret and difficult project to date.

Keitaro tells all of the residents that his workshop is off limits until he finishes work on his masterpiece. For the first time, Keitaro is going to call the piece he will be working on by that word.

Closing the door to his woodshop, he designs and measures everything himself remembering the dimensions of the recipient's room. Keitaro also knows what Shinobu likes and how well organized she is. There will be nothing else like it as he calls upon all of his carpentry, math and construction skills to accomplish his latest goal.

Keitaro puts Reiji's projects on hold when he begins this job. He has already finished with most of his cousin's list and anyway, as the man could not be happier than he is right now.

The others can tell that Keitaro is up to something big as they hear all of his different machines running in both of the lower rooms. He works both day and night starting on Halloween night. After the others go to bed, the noise is more subdued until the racket starts back up early the next morning.

The only creature allowed in Keitaro's shops is the fox.

Sometimes, Tama takes a joy ride on her friend's back because the turtle enjoys the vixen's warm fur.

Keitaro takes off a few hours here and there, because he has duties as the Urashima heir and a home to see to as well. His mind though is constantly on his special project for a certain petite chef.

On the fourteenth, he completes the components of his masterpiece and assembles it. Checking and measuring each piece for a last time, the project builds up and takes only 30 minutes for him to assemble the finished project.

Keitaro is very pleased with the artisanship and precision work that he used on his true masterwork.

The next morning…

Normally, Shinobu is the up first and prepping breakfast, even on the weekends. She is very upset to discover that someone had turned off her alarm clock.

"Oh no," cries Shinobu. Even though it is her birthday today, she still expects to carry her load whatever day it is.

Quickly, she puts on her workout togs and heads down to the kitchen to do the prep work. This is before heading out for the morning workout that she enjoys each morning.

When the petite chef comes up to the kitchen, she sees Keitaro standing there blocking the door.

"And where do you think you're going young lady?" asks Keitaro doing his best to keep a straight face. Normally, he has no trouble doing so, but today is a very special day.

"Senpai, please move. I've got to get breakfast going," says Shinobu.

"I don't think so, Shinobu-chan. Not today anyway. You're coming with me," says Keitaro taking her hand and leading her down the first floor hallway to the basement door that goes downstairs to his shops.

What she sees is all of the residents standing in the now pristine hallway smiling with their hands behind their backs as if they are trying to hide something from her.

With this in mind, he then leads the birthday girl to the door of his workshop and pulls out the key.

Unlocking the door, he open it as the other residents all shout, "Happy Birthday, Shinobu-chan!"

At the same time, they also get the first glimpse of the mysterious project that Keitaro was working on.

In front of them, they all see a large, old-fashioned clerks-style roll-top desk.

Keitaro tells Shinobu that it has many surprises inside as he had even etched her name on a small faceplate and nailed into the side to let everyone know who the owner of it is.

Inside of the desk is a new printer to go with the laptop that he had recently given her along with a new all-in-one smart phone/everything you could want at your fingertips with apps.

The desk itself is well built, but light and can be disassembled for ease of moving.

"Oh, Senpai. Arigato," says Shinobu. The petite chef wraps her beloved Senpai up in her arms for another one of those huge hugs that she likes to give him.

He hugs her back and says, "Happy fourteenth birthday, Shinobu-chan. This is all yours."

Everyone hands their gifts to the petite chef who takes care of them. _She has earned their respect and love._

There is quite a pile on Keitaro's main workbench when their attention turn to the desk that Keitaro had made for her.

Hearing many 'Oohs' and 'ahs' as Shinobu opens the front rolltop part, the others inspect every aspect of it.

There are quite a few very nice surprises in there that she will get to use very shortly.

Keitaro whispers in Shinobu ear that he will show her where the special compartments are when they are alone in her room later.

She loves everything.

Reiji tells Keitaro that he will help him move it into Shinobu's room whenever convenient.

This is not all that happens to her…

Shinobu's housemates spoil her rotten for the whole day and do not allow her to do any work. She complies, although she frets and whines a bit about feeling useless right now.

The menagerie also gets into the act when Shinobu settles in for her day of sloth. Kuro climbs into her lap after she sits on the big couch. Tama lands on her head and Shippu struts over along with the fox who curls up at her feet. It is as if the Hinata's own petting zoo somehow knows that today is a special day for their young friend.

Happily, to top her day off, she receives a call from both of her parents who both wish her a happy birthday. They tell her to look for something special in the post from the two of them. At least she knows now that even though they cannot be here, her mom and dad still love her.

Keitaro allows Shinobu to sit at the head of the table for her all three meals that day. The food is great because there are four very good cooks living at the Hinata now.

Shinobu starts crying at the cake that her beloved Senpai baked and frosted for her. It is in the standup cooler for later this evening after dinner. She has it in mind to return the favor to her beloved Senpai when his birthday comes just after New Year's Day.

As they say, 'all good things must come to an end' and they do so on a high note.

Kaolla is with Keitaro, Reiji and Shinobu. They partially disassemble the desk and take it up to the birthday girl's room. The Princess is amazed at the sheer complexity but seemingly simple design of the piece. Her Onii-chan is a genius just by this bit of complex engineering in wood alone she thinks.

"Wow," is all Kaolla can say.

That is Reiji's cue to take the Princess outside, because Keitaro wants to show Shinobu the hidden compartments and special features of her new desk.

When Keitaro finishes, he is still on his knees and gets a huge surprise of his own.

Astonishing him with a quick kiss on the lips, Shinobu smiles and turns bright red afterwards. This was spur of the moment, because she could not think of another way to thank him.

Keitaro smiles back, making her blush glow even brighter. As he stands up, he thinks about how nice and soft her lips were.

_However, that is enough for now…_

One last hug and he leaves her alone with everyone's gifts.

Someone else who has her own startling piece of great news…

Mutsumi is in her room, and attempts to gather up enough courage to tell Keitaro something extremely important. Something that he really needs to know, and know soon.

After the incident at the farmer's market, she and Hana drew very close. When they went out together one evening, Mutsumi confessed her biggest secret to the petite nurse.

Even since then, Hana has been encouraging her to tell Keitaro.

This could be very happy news for the both of them, as she finally wants tell Keitaro everything. With the hope that it will be when he is alone in his shop late one evening.

After moving in, Mutsumi has gone over the scenario a thousand times about what to say, but she could never get the words just right.

"I might as well just come out and tell him," she whispers knowing the man intimately, "He likes just the facts and nothing else."

Back in her room, she spends a better part of the morning nervously pacing back-and-forth until lunchtime. She drives out to Toudai for an early afternoon lecture and races back home as soon as it is over.

Mutsumi can hardly eat anything at dinnertime because of her anxiety.

Kanako notices her fidgeting while seated next to her, but chooses not to ask why. _For now…_

Hana gently squeezes her hand as the time fast approaches for her to confess to the man she adores, hoping that she does not faint in the meantime.

Dinner is over and the cleanup commences, Keitaro and the others always help Shinobu with this making what seems like an eternity go by a little faster.

Soon afterwards, Keitaro is off to his shop.

Taking a few minutes to gather her thoughts, as well as her courage, so is Mutsumi.

Kanako witnesses Hana saying something to her girlfriend before she headed off after her Onii-chan.

After a few nervous moments, Mutsumi takes a deep breath and goes to see the man that she loves. Her heart pounds with excitement and a bright sunny smile crosses her face.

Standing now right outside his open doorway, she looks in.

Her nerves start to return, when she hears, "Come on, in Mutsumi-chan. Have a seat. I haven't started yet so I'm all yours for as long as you need me."

He secures his tool belt over by the wood lathe and wipes his hands off.

"Arigato, Kei-kun. You've always been very thoughtful of me," says Mutsumi.

He smiles at her.

Sitting down, Mutsumi folds her hands on her lap and waits for him. She has never felt this nervous around him before, even when she gave him her virginity during that special time all those years ago.

"Now, Mutsumi-chan. What can I help you with?" asks Keitaro sitting down in a chair next to her. He sees that she is upset about something.

"Kei-kun, do you remember when you came to Okinawa when I graduated from high school?" asks Mutsumi turning in her chair and looking at him squarely in the eye.

"Yes I do, Mutsumi-chan. We had a great time together. It was one of the best times in my life as a matter of fact," answers Keitaro looking back into her beautiful eyes.

"Have you ever wondered why I'm only a first year Graduate student in my Master's Nursing program at Tokyo U, instead of a second year? It's not because I failed the entrance exam because I passed the first time with an extremely high score," says Mutsumi hesitantly. She is having difficulty making herself clear.

"Take your time, and breathe normally," interjects Keitaro seeing her nervousness. He wipes away some tears falling from her cheeks.

Doing as he suggests, Mutsumi then continues, "I was getting ready to fly to Japan to take the Tokyo University exam. I even talked to Hina Obaa-san about staying here, but something happened which setback all of my plans." Her nerves are beginning to get the best of her again.

"I figured something happened to you Mutsumi-chan or that you had a good reason for waiting. I'm not one to pry you know," says Keitaro trying to figure out what she is trying to tell him.

She smiles because she remembered that she is sharing good news. Her tears dry up and after taking a calming breath, she looks into his eyes.

"We have a son, Kei-kun. His name is Keita and he'll be five next month," says Mutsumi finally. The woman is no longer nervous and just lets it all out. Now that she has, Mutsumi waits for his response.

"I've got a son!" exclaims a happy Keitaro standing up.

He lifts Mutsumi off her seat and swings her around joyously. Being up off the ground Mutsumi is glad that he has taken the news so well. He then sets her down, so that they can kiss.

She has her arms around his neck as he holds her slender waist, but will the other shoe drop.

"Why did you wait until now to tell me, Mu-chan? I would have gladly married you," says Keitaro leaning down some and touching his forehead to hers. The honorific changes as Keitaro talks more intimately with her.

"Because I did not want force you to change your life's path, Kei-kun. I love you too much to ever make you marry me like that," says Mutsumi looking at him in the eye again. She loves Keitaro with all of her heart. "My Okā-san has been very supportive and had even spoiled me while I was pregnant with him. So I have my families' support in helping out with Keita."

"I will have you know Mu-chan that my family would eagerly accept you as my wife," says Keitaro.

"Kei-kun, I just want to be close to you even if we never marry. I will always be yours because of the special bond that we share. Please remember that, my love," says Mutsumi placing her hand lovingly on his cheek.

They kiss tenderly for another minute before he pulls back a little.

"So what is going on with our son right now, Mu-chan?" asks Keitaro. He does not want to push the issue too much. This news means a lot to him. Sure, he has the others, but Mutsumi has just upped the ante… or so he thinks.

"Right now, my Okā-san is watching Keita while I'm going to Toudai," says Mutsumi, "She is spoiling him rotten, bragging to our family and friends about him. I want to bring him here to be with us if it is okay with you."

They release each other and sit back down.

"Well, of course I want to see our son," he says nodding, "I think he should be with his parents here at the Hinata."

Hearing this from him, those words remove any vestiges of doubt she may have had about telling him.

"Do you have any pictures of Keita, Mu-chan?" asks Keitaro.

"Yes, I brought a lot of them with me when I came here. My Okā-san sends me new ones in e-mail attachments almost every day. I have one right here," she says reaching into the pocket of her skirt.

Mutsumi then pulls out the most recent photo of their son for him to look at.

What Keitaro sees is a handsome little boy smiling as his Obaa-san holds him in her lap. Little Keita looks exactly like him at that age, a real spitting image of his Otō-san.

His smile broadens.

Keitaro stands and holds out his hand to the mother of their child.

"Mu-chan, let's go call your Okā-san, and see our son," says Keitaro smiling.

She smiles at him and takes his hand. They step out of his workshop and stop long enough for Keitaro to secure the door before heading up to his office.

The end of autumn…

This past season has been extremely busy and very productive for everyone concerned. It's also been a very revealing time with secrets brought to light, times of stress and healing, family ties made stronger and new relationships that seem to have many possibilities. The weather may be getting cooler but the warmth around the Hinata keeps everyone from getting cold, even when outside.

The others soon find out about little Keita afterwards as his parents sit everyone down in the common room. Not surprisingly, everyone here at the Hinata is supportive of Mutsumi when she shares her news.

Kanako hugs her girlfriend after the hearing the news that she has a nephew now.

Hana and Shinobu want to see more pics and hear everything there is to know about the boy.

In Okinawa, a computer connection has been set up so little Keita can both see and talk to his Okā-san. Keitaro steps into view with Mutsumi to talk with the boy who is sitting on his Obaa-san's lap.

Those who are in Keitaro's office in Japan, hear one word from the child who points at him from so far away…

"Otō-san".

End of chapter


	9. Finding out what a real family is

The Hands of a Man  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's note: I will be adding new material to this chapter. It will help clarify some details.

Chapter 9: Finding out what a real family is

December 1st- Early Morning, Hinata-style…

An alarm clock goes off just before sunrise.

For a certain young woman, it is a day that she has been longing for since meeting up with a certain young man again last spring. The reason, it is her birthday, and she has always wanted to share one with him.

It is her seventeenth.

Although there still is some time until she needs to get up, Motoko just wants to snuggle in with her Keitaro-sama and have him hold her against his muscular chest.

A little lower down, in the huge bed…

The third person in this little grouping is already awake and hard at work taking care of her lover's morning 'needs'. Since first taking him at the beginning of the summer, it astonishes her that she has been able to handle his huge size. It is a challenge sometimes, but the Fox has managed to adapt and overcome. _In addition, she wants no one but him._

"Shit," he hisses quietly while his prostate quivers.

Wiping her mouth off, The Fox works her way up and gives both of her bedmates an interestingly flavored kiss.

Kitsune slides over and stands up to allow her lover to get up. Motoko sits up and folds her legs to watch the other two.

Keitaro does not get a chance to begin his morning unmolested…

Motoko giggles at the sight of Kitsune Judo-flipping their much bigger boyfriend back onto their bed. Then, the gorgeous ash-haired woman hops onto his stomach and begin kissing Keitaro all over his face.

"C'mon, Kit-chan. I've got a long day ahead of me and so do you," says Keitaro uncharacteristically laughing as the Fox nibbles at his ear.

Keitaro needs to think of something to slow her down before Motoko notices that he is getting hard again. _Work or working out is easy to deal with, but dealing with four very horny women who have high libidos on a daily basis, is not._

"Kitsune-Senpai," howls a laughing Motoko. This too is uncharacteristic of the other bedmate.

Both two look at the scene next to them and then at each other.

"Whoa," says Kitsune in amazement.

After this distracting pause ends, he says, "I'll tell you what, Kit-chan. Come up and see me at lunchtime."

"You'd better be ready, Kei-kun. I'm horny, and although she'll be alone with you tonight, you're going to fuck my brains out at lunchtime," whispers Kitsune in his ear before licking it.

Keitaro knows how unstoppable Kitsune can be when she gets this way. However, he loves how she is, and would not change a single thing about his insatiable vixen.

Motoko has excellent hearing and deeply blushes listening to her bedmate talking dirty to their lover. In reality, she wants him to do the same thing to her when they are alone tonight. _It makes her wet just thinking about it._

"Okay then, Kit-chan," says Keitaro looking her in the eye, "You have yourself a deal. Now get that gorgeous ass of yours off me before I change my mind."

He pinches her butt and smiles when she squeals.

Kitsune jumps off him just before he starts to tickle her.

"I've never seen you move that fast before," he says using a bit of sarcasm.

"Meanie," says Kitsune pulling her eyelid down and giving him a raspberry.

Motoko laughs one more time and gets off the bed as well.

Naked, the Fox slinks over to her closet. Sliding the bi-fold door open, she puts on a show while dressing in her denim cut-offs and sports bra.

"Almost as good as when I take it off," says Kitsune in a smoky, "and, that was just a sample for later."

"I'm looking forward to it," responds Keitaro standing up and stretching.

With his arms raised above his head, two sets of eyes ogle him while he stands there naked next to the bed.

"Damn," hisses Kitsune loving what she sees.

Motoko likes it too, but keeps her thoughts to herself.

Keitaro keeps a wary eye on Kitsune so he can get dressed without her molesting him again. He is very conscious of the fact that there are two sets of eyes staring at him as they watch him put on some knee-length basketball shorts and a ratty old tee shirt.

It does not bother him anymore because he is used to it now.

"Ahem," says Kitsune after clearing her throat. She sees Keitaro doing some ogling of his own as Motoko bends over to grab some new sneakers out of the closet. Her tight workout shorts are giving him a fantastic view of everything.

She gives Keitaro 'the look'.

"Don't look at me like that, Kit-chan," says Keitaro not turning his eyes away, "I'll be seeing plenty of your ass at noontime".

Motoko sees where he is focusing his attention and unexpectedly wiggles her butt.

"I see you've learned your lessons too well, Motoko-chan," says Kitsune nodding in approval, as she is actually very proud of the birthday girl. _There is no jealousy or envy at work here, just admiration._

Now dressed, Kitsune grabs the hands of both her bedmates and leads them downstairs. They grab their jackets for the short walk outside in fresh air on this cool, crisp Japanese morning.

A light wind comes right up from Sagami Bay and does not lessen Kitsune playfully teasing Keitaro. _She watches Motoko blush._

Upon reaching the Dojo, the other two let the younger woman go inside first.

Motoko scans her proximity card across the scanner, and…

"Happy Birthday, Motoko-chan," cry all of her housemates.

Smiling brightly, she thanks them with a bow before taking her place on the mat.

"Please come right home after school today, Mo-chan. I have a surprise for you," says Keitaro.

"Hai, my Keitaro-sama," replies Motoko who knows that when he makes a promise to her he always keeps it.

The daily instruction begins.

Kitsune's fun…

Keitaro keeps his word to have a lunchtime bedroom romp with Kitsune.

There is loud caterwauling coming from the trio's room.

"What a slut she is," says Reiji turning his head to where the noise is coming from, "Kitsune sure is horny today."

Mildly annoyed, he sits here on the couch while subjected to screams that emanate from a certain room. It interrupts his daily TV soap operas and gets his animal friends upset with all of the caterwauling that the ash-blonde makes up there. He can tell that his cousin is putting the 'hammer down' on his girlfriend and is showing her absolutely no mercy.

'At least the other girls he's with around here are quite a bit quieter,' he adds as an afterthought.

There is a momentary lull in the action before the Hinata echoes with her screams again.

"I didn't know he was that strong," he says a few minutes later after their howling resumes. Hearing the two of them go at it, is like listening to the ecchi part of his soaps sometimes.

He laughs again.

When lunch break is over, Kitsune comes downstairs looking slightly disheveled as she saunters past Reiji.

"Did you have fun, Kitsune?" he asks from the common room. _The man is a bit envious of her._

Putting on her shoes and jacket, she smiles at Reiji and heads towards the pantry without answering him.

Sliding open the door, Kitsune takes to shorter stone stairway back to work feeling fully sated.

Shaking his head laughing, Reiji goes back to his TV programs along with his friends.

Happy Birthday, Motoko-chan…

When she returns home from school, Motoko sees that there are many gifts from her family in Osaka and here at the Hinata for her to open in the common room.

Overwhelmed by this, she nearly cries.

The Tamashiro's are very generous after learning about when her birthday was. The goodness of her newfound family greatly affects Motoko and it warms her heart as she sheds many happy tears after opening all of her gifts from them.

Her Hinata family is also just as generous.

Tsuruko gives her a new Naginata, since they no longer wield Katanas. _She has always wanted one of her own._

Shizuru and Naru give her some very expensive incense that smells of sandalwood. "My favorite," she smiles bowing to them.

Kaolla hands her a stack of pre-programmed discs and flash drives to help her with homework.

Opening Kitsune's gift, Motoko nearly faints when she pulls out the sheerest white lace bodice and garter she has ever seen. What little there is of it also includes, matching white lace silk stockings, a sheer thigh length long-sleeved robe and a pair of white platforms.

"Leave it to Kitsune to buy that," says Reiji disapproving of her gift to Motoko.

_His comment gets laughs from everyone._

"She going to have a busy night tonight, so I thought I'd get her something to match the occasion," says Kitsune with a straight face.

"Only you'd think like that, Kitsune," says Haruka laughing and holding Tsuruko's hand. She then gives Motoko some exotic tea blends to soothe her mind after a long study session.

"You should have heard our resident Fox earlier though, Haruka. It was awful, disturbing me while I watched my soaps, and the pets. Sheesh!" says Reiji melodramatically teasing Kitsune as he hands Motoko a substantial sum of cash. (Writer's note: In Japan, this is a very appropriate thing to do on someone's birthday)

"Reiji-kun, you're embarrassing me," says Kitsune turning bright red and has no regrets about having sex with Keitaro earlier in the day.

"Yeah right, Kitsune. Tell me another one," says Shizuru using a tone that drips with sarcasm, "You always scream like that when Kei-kun bounces you up and down on his dick like a rubber fuck doll. At least Naru-chan and I aren't that loud in bed."

Naru gives Shizuru a look of mock shock before breaking out in laughter. She cannot believe that her lover has such a potty mouth.

Shinobu turns bright red as Shizuru just grins at her.

"Stop hogging him, Kitsune-Senpai," says Kanako pouting and feeling horny.

However, since it is Motoko sleeping alone with her Onii-chan tonight and not her, she will be the one walking very funny tomorrow morning.

"You can share my bed tonight, Kana-chan," says Mutsumi in a very soft voice.

Everyone laughs.

Kanako's face is bright red, but she nods anyway.

Motoko sheds tears of joy when she receives another unexpected surprise from her Keitaro-sama.

"We're not done yet, Motoko-chan," says Keitaro with a gentle smile, "Let's step into my office."

Taking her hand, he leads her there where she sits in his comfortable chair. Tsuruko and Kaolla follow them.

Motoko is to be the recipient of live on-line greetings from her Otō-san and Ojii-san.

Between her cousin in Osaka, and Kaolla here in Hinata City, they have everything set to go. _The genius steps out of the room after smiling at her friend._

Tsuruko sits next to Motoko at Keitaro's request.

Stepping out of his office, this is so the two can have some privacy as they talk to their family.

After a moment, an image appears before them as they see their Ojii-san.

"Happy Birthday, Motoko-chan," says Tamashiro Ojii-san smiling at his granddaughter on the large computer flat screen. Her cousin Jun waives to her quickly after setting things up on the Osaka end.

Motoko smiles as she feels the love coming from the old man who waves his hands at his grandson to shoo him away.

He then adds, "Your cousin Emiko-chan wanted to say hello, but she had to work with her Oba-san after school today. She's older by a year and really wants to meet you."

"Arigato, Ojii-san," says Motoko smiling, "Please, give my regards to Emiko-chan. I've received your birthday gifts and even Ane-ue smiled at how kind you all are."

Tsuruko appears and smiles at her Ojii-san too.

"I'll do that, Motoko-chan. Oh, your Otō-san wants to say hello as well," he says as the camera shift over to another man sitting nearby in the room.

"Happy Birthday, my daughter," says Hiroshi, "I am glad to hear that you received all of our gifts. When I got back from the Hinata, Sato Oji-san's two daughters wanted to know when your birthday was so they could start buying gifts for you. They kept hounding me until I told them."

His Otō-san wants the camera back on him so he can see his beautiful granddaughter again. There is some slight grumbling from the old man and a little light female laughter in the background.

Then the younger of Motoko's girl cousins pops her head in saying, "send us your email, Motoko-chan. So we can keep in touch with you."

They both notice that fifteen-year-old Riko looks a lot like them.

"I will, Riko-chan," responds Motoko who knows now that she has two female cousins her age and wants to meet them as soon as possible. _It makes her happy that they feel the same way._

Then Sato Oji-san's youngest boy, Akatsuke, pops his head in to wave to Motoko. _Both siblings giggle at his antics._

"Aka-kun, get away from Oji-san and let him talk," says Riko in the background.

Tsuruko says hello to her family in Osaka and switches places with Motoko. _She wants to talk to Motoko and Haruka about going down there for a visit at year's end._

"I hope to see you all very soon, Otō-san," says Tsuruko before the call ends.

Motoko and Tsuruko smile and then hug each other. They feel blessed to have a real family that cares about them.

Keitaro steps back into his office after they finish. He thought it proper that the two should have some privacy while on-line with their family in Osaka.

Motoko gets up so she can thank her lover properly and kisses him very deeply after Tsuruko steps out of the office.

"Thank you for doing that for me, my Keitaro-sama," says Motoko after the kiss breaks. Her arms are around his neck as his strong arms hold her close.

"That is only the start of what I've got planned for you, Motoko-chan," says Keitaro smiling. He had also received a certain call on his smart phone that a certain something will be ready for him to pick up by the time requested. He needs to do a bit more research on a special ceremony that will go with the presentation of a certain gift to her and Tsuruko.

As for Motoko's special night with her Keitaro-sama, she wore Kitsune's gift and willingly gave herself to him many times.

Kitsune slept in Shinobu's room and had a lot of fun with the petite chef. She had learned all about the birthday gift that Keitaro had made for her and watched anime for a few hours. _It was a refreshing evening for the older woman._

When they went to bed, the Fox enjoyed holding the young teen in her arms as they slept.

The next morning, Motoko calls upon her inner discipline. Although she is not a screamer like her bedmate, her Keitaro-sama took her many times, as she rode on the crest of ecstasy into the night.

However, there was a price for her to pay as she found it hard to wake up and get out of bed the next morning.

"Thank the spirits that it is Saturday," she says before taking him again.

Keitaro had little to do, so he had an easy choice to make before entering her again.

Washing his back and soaking together, Motoko made many happy memories on the happiest birthday in her life.

She just hopes for the best in the future, and prays that Karma will continue to go her way.

Two days later, as he is not one to rest on his laurels…

In the old family 'Noh' theater, Keitaro does a major run through in a part of the manse long abandoned.

"The girls would love a large indoor pool right here," he says after opening up this part of his home for his inspection, "and I would love a bar over there."

Moving down the hallway, Keitaro stands inside of the unused Hinata's indoor men's dressing room and looks at all of the obsolete almost rusted-out fixtures. Making a mental note, he lists things that could easily injure his five-year old son.

Going across the hall, the women's dressing room is in worse shape.

On both sides, nothing is up to code, as he needs to replace it all.

Needing Kanako's organizational skills and Sarah's artistic talents, the three sit in his office and go over the needs for next rebuild project.

Strolling by, Kaolla comes in and gets to work. She loves to help her Onii-chan as calling him thus still gets underneath Kanako's skin…

"Do you want to order supplies by name brand, or just by proximity to the Hinata, Onii-chan?" asks Kanako who knows how he thinks.

"Okay, Kana-chan. This is how we'll proceed," starts Keitaro and then announces in rapid succession, "You organize my schedule for the actual work. Send Maki both an email and text message that I have more work for him and his crew. Kaolla-chan, you order the plumbing and tile supplies on the list we settled upon. Make a separate list to let me know when I can expect delivery. Put down approximate times to give us some flexibility. Sarah, I need you to draw up the designs and plans for both indoor dressing rooms. The men's side will be down to four spots because I want to add a utility closet in the unused space. Plan for entry doors in both the hallway and men's dressing room. If anyone needs to go into that area, I will provide safety helmets. I will be doing all of the woodworking and specialty metalwork in my shops. Let's get to work."

Motoko and Shinobu get involved with this project as well after school. Motoko assists the three project leaders with whatever they need. Shinobu pitches in with snacks and acts as a 'go-fer' between her Senpai and the others.

Knowing that this is a work-in-progress, Keitaro begins with gutting the areas-in-question.

Maki has an industrial-sized dumpster brought in for all the debris that they will be throwing away.

"Thanks for coming over and helping me get a head start on this," says Keitaro. The preliminary work can now proceed at a faster pace with his friend here.

He makes sure to turn off the water and gas mains on this side of the manse.

"No problem, Kei. Congrats on being an Otō-san by the way," says Maki. He has three kids of his own.

Over the next week…

Keitaro wants to modernize the women's side first, so he authorizes the Princess to order the proper materials.

She also organizes a very good delivery schedule and hands him a comprehensive list.

Kanako, following Keitaro around, takes notes on anything new that he may want to add. No one sees or hears them indulging in some passionate sex after finishing one evening around 2am. _Sleeping together out in the cabin by the lake, Keitaro was glad it was a Sunday and that neither of them had to be anywhere when the sun came up._

In all, Kaolla ordered six new vanity style sinks; ten comfortable chairs with Satellite TV monitors for both ends of the room; one dozen large shower stalls with glass doors and multi-head spray nozzles; and one large indoor Jacuzzi for relaxing in.

Sarah works hard on her commission when her own college work is through. She presents Keitaro with her preliminary work, who takes her drawings as they are.

On his end, he builds twenty wood cabinet style lockers with brass fittings and a few extras that will make the residents happy. In his machine shop, the individual nameplates for them are in both Nihongo and Romaji scripts.

He also plans to place a built-in perch for Shippu, a small bed for the Fox and Kuro, and a warm landing pad for Tama-chan in both sides.

As for the old windows, he will install new one-way windows. _Much better for privacy…_

A week before this project, he finished installing smaller unisex water closets on the two residential floors with Kaolla's help. This is so no one will have to run downstairs and have an accident on the way.

On a Tuesday…

"Kei-kun, would you like me to make you two something for lunch?" asks Reiji since Shinobu is at school. He sees dirt, dust and sweat covering the two men from head-to-toe.

"That'd be great, Reiji-kun. Maki and I'll stop about one, so we'll see you then," answers Keitaro. Then he gets right back at it.

In both the kitchen and the common room, the noise from the demolition reverberates throughout the manse. None of the animals are happy, especially Kuro and the fox. However, they tolerate it.

The male domestic tunes it out with the help of earplugs that Keitaro gave him before the work started. With the noise level much reduced, Reiji heads into the kitchen to prepare their lunch.

Feeding the menagerie first, Reiji smiles and sees that full stomachs helps their disposition.

He likes the fact that Keitaro moved the kitchen into the old unused banquet hall and put in quite a lot of great new appliances. It makes working and cleanup a lot easier.

After doing a cursory wipe down of all of the counters, he notices how well Shinobu works to keep her domain immaculate. He takes inventory in both the walk-in fridge and freezer writing down what they need on a pad on the wall near the petite chef's laptop.

Since it is her kitchen, she does all of the ordering.

It is less noisy up in the laundry room as he continues he chores. He turns on the big screen TV in here and starts the first load.

"You think of everything, my dear cousin," whispers a smiling Reiji. He grabs a soda from the small, well-stocked mini-fridge that sits on a pedestal by the window.

With all of washers and dryers all going up here, Reiji now tends to the residents lingerie. (Writer's note: this is a trope and cliché free zone)

Sarah is by far the bustiest of all the resident women at the Hinata.

The next woman on the list is Kitsune, she rivals the blonde in both bras-size and sexiness of her lingerie.

"What a pair of sluts," comments an amused Reiji standing in front of the folding table while laughingly judging the residents lingerie.

Then, in succession, is Mutsumi, Motoko and Tsuruko. It seems that their choices of intimate wear is at least a bit more modest.

'It seems that Motoko-chan is going to be bigger than Sarah-chan someday,' he thinks.

Haruka, Mio, Shizuru and Naru's intimates are next on his list.

"Shizuru really knows good quality," comments Reiji smiling. He sees that the silver-haired woman lingerie is very expensive and that she buys for Naru as well. The other two also wear lingerie of excellent quality.

Then he comes to Hana and Shinobu.

"I see that our little Shinobu-chan is growing up so fast," he muses smiling.

Kaolla Su, though she too is developing, prefers sports bras as she is the most physically active of all the residents.

Reiji has a good time getting the laundry done. The residents all appreciate it when he neatly folds their laundry and places it on their beds.

Downstairs…

After lunch, while Reiji cleans up as Keitaro and Maki start tearing out the old shower stalls.

"Hey, Kei. How old is some of this shit anyway?" asks Maki pulling out some rotten boards.

"I think some of it's been in here since just after the war. This place has needed modernizing for a long, long time," answers Keitaro matter-of-fact.

Latching onto a pile of broken stall wallboards, he and Maki haul them outside to the dumpster.

This keeps up for the rest of the afternoon before they decide to call it quits for the day. The girls will be coming home soon and Maki wants to get home to his family.

Looking at his watch, Keitaro sees that he has time before the residents come home, so he invites Maki to use the onsen.

Reiji hears him invite his friend for a soak and hollers, "Kei-kun! You may own this place, but right now, you two stink! Strip and wash go yourselves while I take your work clothes and 'decontaminate' them. Get to it and get out of here." _He is not amused._

Keitaro and Maki laugh as someone much smaller is dressing the two of them down in this manner.

Maki knows Reiji and accepts the man for who he is. "To each his own, it doesn't mean anything to me," he comments.

Getting naked, the two scrub themselves before stepping into the warm water.

Reiji grabs the stinky works clothes and takes them upstairs.

"Kei, you're one lucky fucker to have this," says Maki smiling and relaxing some after a hard day's work.

"I like it," says Keitaro sitting back by the old rock.

"By the way, Kei. What's your boy's name?" asks Maki.

"Keita," answers Keitaro.

For the next twenty minutes or so, Keitaro and Maki enjoy the famous hot water springs of the Hinata.

After their soak, Keitaro hands his friend a robe as they go inside. Maki has a beer in the kitchen as he waits for his clothes.

About an hour later, Reiji hands the two their clean laundry.

"Kei, I'll see you tomorrow," says Maki who thanks Reiji for taking care of his clothes before heading out the back door and over the small bridge.

The two workaholics accomplished a lot during their workday, but there is still a lot of work for them to do.

However, they put a good dent into Keitaro's latest project.

Some silliness later the same day…

"No, Mutsumi-Senpai. That's not a watermelon you saw," says Sarah as three of the college students file into the backdoor of the Hinata. They stop long enough to doff their shoes and put on their house slippers.

Sarah, Mutsumi and Kanako are having a heated conversation about something that started before they came inside.

They know that Keitaro is usually in the kitchen at this time of day.

Tama flies in and lands on Mutsumi's head. _She greets her mistress._

Keitaro is doing some prep work for Shinobu when the trio walks by and does not bother looking at them until one wants a kiss. He has heard too many of these petty squabbles and tunes it out. _This one sounds to be a bit silly._

"Are you positive?" asks Mutsumi seeing Keitaro standing there. The sunny Okinawan walks over and kisses him.

"No, Senpai. For the last time not everything you see is shaped like a watermelon," says Sarah giggling at the sight.

"Now what?" asks Keitaro looking dubiously at the three, "Or, do I even want to ask?"

Mutsumi gets ready to answer him when Kanako breaks in and says, "Onii-chan, it's so dumb it'll take your breath away."

At this point, she steps in and kisses him on the lips.

Sarah nods in agreement.

"Is it that bad, Kana-chan?" asks Mutsumi looking sheepishly at the other three.

Her girlfriend nods along with the blonde. Keitaro has a quizzical look on his face.

It suddenly becomes very quiet in here.

The three then walk out of the kitchen to get ready for dinner.

"Now what the fuck was that all about?" asks Keitaro shaking his head while actually trying not to laugh. Shrugging, he quickly forgets the whole thing and goes back to his prep work.

With Tsuruko…

In the office of the Tea Shoppe, Tsuruko finished her online trading transactions for the day and made quite a killing. To some, the wild fluctuations of the Yen has been very difficult thing to calculate financially, but she does not see it this way.

Her contacts in New York tell her that things will be fine with all of the political changes that are coming to the United States.

Without hesitation, she invests a substantial amount of her assets in the American stock exchanges for a while and deals less in South Korea and China.

Here in Japan, with the Nikkei slowly improving, Tsuruko is cautiously optimistic about Japan. She sells her Hong Kong and Shanghai shares off short, which pisses off many foreign investors because of her speed and ruthlessness once again. It seems that she has foreseen some trends that others have missed and knows that soon the 'shit will hit the fan' politically.

Selling off all of her European stocks, she totally liquidates all of her Volkswagen™ stock and some are wondering why… their sales have passed Toyota™, but Tsuruko sees some troubling trends coming from the German automaker.

Yawning, she closes out her accounts and logs off her laptop.

"What a day," she whispers getting up from her desk. She yawns and stretches before stepping into the main room. Her girlfriend has just closed the shop and is walking the employees out the back door.

Mentally spent, Tsuruko is thankful that she and Motoko have already talked about her going to Osaka to meet their family.

Seeing her statuesque lover emerge, Haruka asks, "Tough day, sweetie?"

"Not really, Haru-chan," answers Tsuruko taking the other woman by the waist, "I'm just waiting to go on holiday, that's all."

The two kiss.

"Feeling a bit bitchy?" asks Kitsune clearing out the cash register drawer.

"More tired than anything, Kit," responds Tsuruko after the kiss smiling and holding Haruka to her chest. _There is a little over 15cm height difference between the two women._

"I'll finish things down here. You two go on up," says Kitsune.

"Thanks, Kit," says Haruka. She breaks the hug, takes Tsuruko's hand and leads her out the door.

That night, everyone in the Hinata sleeps soundly.

Preparing for a trip…

Tsuruko packs for her trip to Osaka. Her nerves are steady, but the anticipation is beginning to frazzle them a bit.

"Are you alright, Ane-ue?" asks Motoko kneeling on a tatami mat by the window. Since it is the weekend, she is wearing a beautiful Yukata and has Tabis on her feet on this very early morning.

Haruka is packing a smaller soft-sided suitcase that is lying on the bed. _She had packed everything else the evening before collapsing and falling asleep._

"I will be, Motoko-chan," answers Tsuruko.

"It will be nice to get away, Tsu-chan," says Haruka, "we haven't been on holiday since you graduated from University."

"We know how long it's been since then," says Kitsune with a smirk as she and Shinobu come into the room. The petite chef brings in some fresh-brewed tea and snacks for them to share.

Haruka and Tsuruko give the Fox a cold stare while Motoko and Shinobu giggle.

The ash-blonde kneels next to her bedmate.

"Ano, Haruka-Senpai," says Shinobu in a quiet voice, "I have prepared something for you and Tsuruko-Senpai for your trip. It is downstairs on the main counter in the kitchen".

"Arigato gozaimasu, Shinobu-chan," replies Haruka as she and her girlfriend bow to their youngest housemate.

Shinobu blushes as she returns the bow.

A short time later…

Haruka places Kitsune in charge of the Tea Shoppe and knows that the ash-blonde will take care of it with no problems.

Keitaro says he will watch over it too if he has the time.

Reiji wishes them both a good journey. "Gambatte," he says before bowing.

Keitaro insists on taking the two to the main train terminal in Tokyo.

With everyone going outside, he loads up the luggage in his big pickup. Kitsune hops in the front seat and comes along for the ride since the shift manager is running the Shoppe right now.

Tapping her friend's shoulder as they pass Hakone, Haruka says, "I don't want a repeat of what happened on your birthday, Kit. Understand?"

"Understood," grumbles the Fox.

Keitaro hears the exchange between the two and laughs.

Kitsune glares at her boyfriend and backhands his arm. She then mutters, "Bitch," while looking in the backseat.

Haruka nods and has a wide-mouthed grin.

Tsuruko laughs knowing that her girlfriend has finally 'one-upped' Kitsune.

The traffic is light through Yokohama as the main station comes into view.

"Behave yourself around the Hinata while I'm gone or I'll kick your ass in the Dojo when we return," she says to her beloved cousin as they hug.

"Right, Haru-chan," says Keitaro responding to her. _He appreciates how she still worries about him._

Keitaro and Kitsune stay on the platform until the bullet train pulls out.

On the Shinkansen JR line bound for Kyoto, Haruka sits with Tsuruko to enjoy their trip. They have two first class tickets so they are fawned over by some cute and very attentive staff people.

"Kitsune would be busting our chops right now for drooling over the cute girls in here, Tsu-chan," says Haruka who had just favored a young server with a smile that had some meaning behind it.

"I agree, Haru-chan. The one with the short hair would look very kawaii in some sheer, short and sexy," whispers Tsuruko in her ear. She is in a teasing mood.

The girl winks back at her. If Haruka was not here with her, she might be tempted to ask for her number. If only...

"We really do need to get out more, Tsu-chan. Thanks for bringing me with you by the way. Hey, what about me?" says Haruka with mock indignation. She thinks the girl is cute too, but gets upset when Tsuruko successfully teases her.

"Sometimes you make it too easy for me, Haru-chan. That is why Kitsune gets under your skin so much. Do not worry, my love. You're the only woman I want anyway," says Tsuruko taking Haruka's hand and softly kisses her lover's lips.

"Meanie," teases Haruka giggling after the kiss breaks. _She holds Tsuruko's hand and enjoys the rest of the trip._

Passing by Mt. Fuji both woman get their cameras out and snap photos of the sacred volcano as they zoom by at over 200kph.

Tsuruko claps her hands together and says a quick prayer while it is still in view. She hopes for a successful trip as well as a memorable meeting with her newfound family.

One thing that Haruka likes about traveling on a Maglev bullet train is the smoother ride than on a traditional locomotive, but she always avoids looking at the mess on the train's nose when it pulls into the terminal. _The sight of which usually ruins her day and makes her slightly nauseous._

Getting off at Kyoto Station, the couple head to the JR Tokaido Honsen Line for the quick trip over to Osaka.

Tsuruko and Haruka hop on and after securing their luggage, they settle in.

With the excitement growing more tangible the closer that she and Haruka get their final destination, Tsuruko can hardly wait to see her real family and hold them in her arms. There is also a need in her to know that she and her Imouto-chan are no longer alone in this world. Sure, she has both talked to and e-mailed them, but nothing will satisfy her more than actually making physical contact.

Haruka knows that Tsuruko is more emotional than most Japanese women are and believes that this is why she wants to be with them right now.

It is a short trip to Osaka Station in the Umeda district in Kita-ku.

Meeting the family…

"Nervous?" asks Haruka as the train comes to a stop.

"Not anymore. Thanks, sweetie," replies Tsuruko letting go of Haruka's hand.

Standing up, she smiles and steps out into the aisle.

Haruka smiles at her girlfriend as they gather their belongings.

Stepping off the train, the women check their luggage before walking off the platform. The car staff waves to them before heading off in the opposite direction.

The two look at each other and laugh.

After a short walk and leaving in the trains behind them, Tsuruko checks her email to make sure that they are at the proper place. Showing it to Haruka, her girlfriend nods and understands that they are right where there supposed to be.

In the main terminal building stands her newly discovered family and everyone is here. Tamashiro Ojii-san, her Otō-san, Sato Oji-san with his wife along with their four kids and last but not least there is Riisa Oba-san holding hands with a very beautiful woman.

Without hesitating, Jun, Emiko, Riko and Akatsuke run up and hug Tsuruko. She can see where her height comes from, because her cousin Jun is a few centimeters taller than she is. In addition, both Emiko and Riko are the spitting image of Motoko.

Tsuruko introduces Haruka as the adults come over to join them.

"Otō-san," says Tsuruko bowing before getting a hug from him. She then bows to her Ojii-san and Sato Oji-san before meeting his wife, Chitose.

At last, her Riisa Oba-san introduces herself as she meets her girlfriend Yukiko for the first time. The two women hug and almost cry standing here as emotion overtakes them. Then, Haruka gets a hug from Riisa.

Tsuruko smiles warmly at her Oba-san, she is very pleased that a Japanese family can be so warm and loving in this modern era. It reminds her of her own family back at the Hinata as they also accept her lifestyle and partner.

After a short drive to the outskirts of the city, the two travelers settle into the guest room.

Cousins Emiko and Riko, Oba-san Riisa along with Yukiko-san come in to help their guests feel welcome.

The main Tamashiro house is a study in contrasts. It has an ancient looking façade on the outside, and on the inside, all of the modern amenities that a 21st century family would want. This includes a large garage with six vehicles parked inside.

"Beautiful," exclaims Tsuruko taking her Ojii-san's arm as he escorts his two guests on a tour of the house.

The room that Tsuruko and Haruka are staying in reflects the modern style. There is a comfortable western-style queen-size bed, their own private bathroom with a large tub and shower. To top everything off, there is a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall and a small sign saying 'Wi-Fi' hotspot courtesy of Jun.

"Whoa," says Haruka after seeing the small sign as this will make it easier for her to email Keitaro later on.

In addition, it has the more traditional accoutrements of a Japanese home: a sliding door that leads to a central courtyard, an open-air onsen and the ubiquitous open-air Shinto shrine.

"Tsuruko-nee, will Motoko-chan be coming out here soon?" asks Emiko. She and Riko are now constantly in contact with their cousin back at the Hinata.

"Not exactly, Emiko-chan," answers Tsuruko.

The two teens look a little crestfallen.

"What the owner of the Hinata wants to do is invite everyone here up to Hinata City during the school summer shutdown," answers Tsuruko, "it is so everyone here can enjoy the facilities back there. Haruka-chan's cousin Keitaro, the owner of the Hinata has asked me to extend an open invitation to my family here."

Haruka nods.

The eyes of the two teenagers light up with the prospect of going on a nice holiday next summer and seeing Motoko.

"Only if you two continue to keep your grades up," says Riisa smiling at them.

"Oba-san!" say the girls whining simultaneously.

The four adults laugh.

Chitose also comes into the guestroom and says, "I agree with her, but that shouldn't be much of a problem for you two."

More laughter…

At dinner, the two newcomers discover that the Tamashiro's are also excellent cooks.

"This is very good," says Haruka eating some traditional Osakan fare.

"Oji-san, I want to thank you for accepting my Otō-san back after the recent problems with the Aoyama," says Tsuruko nodding her head towards her him.

"He is my only brother and we were very close up until that time. He deserved to come home and be with those who actually care about him," says the usually quiet Sato in his Kansai intonation gracing his niece with a very warm smile.

After dinner, Haruka and Tsuruko pull out their smart phones. They show their hosts everything they have to look forward to next summer.

Both teenage girls get gleams in their eyes at the sight of Keitaro.

"There is already quite a queue in front of you two," teases Tsuruko as the boys snicker.

Jun and Akatsuke then see picks of the residents.

"You're kidding," says Jun when he finds out that Naru is gay.

"Stick to Osaka girls, young man," says Ojii-san smiling at his grandson.

Sato nods in agreement, as the table erupts in laughter.

Back at the Hinata, some kibitzing around the onsen…

Tsuruko and Haruka are off on their expected holiday to Osaka.

Kitsune, for all of her quirks is actually a very good choice to be in charge of the Shoppe because she has an innate sense for business.

However, the Fox Lady knows that she will not be able to distract her Kei-kun too much from his work. He has too much on his own plate as it is until Haruka returns.

Later in the day, the resident girls all sit around the onsen. _The steam is not only coming from the spa._

"Shit, I'm so fucking tired," says a whiny Kitsune. She is too and knows that the others will feel absolutely no sympathy for her.

Motoko just looks at her bedmate with a little empathy, but that is all, as she has had a long day.

"Hey, you and Motoko-chan are always selfish with Kei-kun's time," says Mutsumi who usually does not get upset with the way things are around here, "I want to sleep with him as well and his son will be coming soon. You are going to have to share him, Kitsune. And you're lucky that Kana-chan hasn't taken exception to your particular living arrangement yet." _Her patience though is beginning to wear very thin._

"Hey! Kei-kun's the one who built that bedroom, not me," responds Kitsune firing back since she has no energy for sex anyway. _What am I saying?_

Then comes a statement that no one expects.

"I've loved my Keitaro-sama since I was five years old and yes, I wish to be his wife," says Motoko standing her ground, then turning to the mother of his child she continues with, "Mutsumi-Senpai, I will not run from this or back down in my wanting him. Nothing you can say to me will change my mind about how I feel, and I will be his bride someday." Her love for Keitaro is unconditional and nothing will ever change the way she feels about him. (Writer's note: Motoko added a lot of emphasis to the last phrase)

Motoko's statement strikes a nerve with the other two in this argument. _Both are staring and shooting lasers at her._

"Calm down everyone," says Kanako coming out of the changing area and steps in to the warm waters in her bikini, "How many times has Onii-chan told us, no bullshit. We should discuss this matter as rational people and not like bitches in heat."

Following her in, Kuro and the Fox sit together on a nearby ledge.

Laughing at her reference, Shizuru and Naru listen to their housemates as they fight over Keitaro.

Looking stunned by this statement, Mutsumi then chuckles at her girlfriend's description of the four because it sounds quite apropos in this case.

Managing to keep a straight face and not allowing that comeback to faze her, Motoko sits quietly in the warm water while allowing it to soothe her tired body. She has said her piece…

However, Kitsune just glares at Kanako. As tired as she is, her mood is not the best right now.

The others are still inside and will be out later.

Hana is at work.

"Kana-chan, you're not happy with the present arrangements concerning your Onii-chan, are you?" asks Mutsumi who looks at her slightly bemused.

"Mutsumi-Senpai, if you want to sleep with him all you had to do is ask him like I did," says Kanako who is starting to become very exasperated as she sees the befuddled look on her face after stating this.

This statement also surprises Kitsune and Motoko.

Laughing even louder, Shizuru and Naru are just beside themselves as they peruse the looks on the faces of Keitaro's two bedmates.

"It was that simple, huh? I knew I was missing something," says Mutsumi as one of her patented sunny smiles kick in. Tama is just lazing comfortably on her head as the steam keep the turtle comfortable. The smile widens a bit when Kanako takes her hand.

While this bit of testiness is going on, two other residents are changing and having an interesting discussion of their own.

"Sarah-chan, would you like to share my bed with me again tonight?" asks Mio leaning over and kissing Sarah's cheek. _Her bathing suit is already on._

This breaks the blonde out of her thought. "Are you ever going to give up on that, Mio-Senpai?" she asks wondering a little. The top of her bikini is finally in place so she can wash herself before heading into the onsen.

The twin then steps into a stall and turns the spigot on.

"No, not as long as you have these," says Mio stepping under the running water with Sarah while grabbing onto her huge barely-covered rack.

"Damn it, Mio-Senpai. Stop that!" whines Sarah whose resolve is finally gone. Being very horny this evening, she is relishing having her huge boobs fondled by the twin.

"Sensitive," whispers Mio very suggestively.

Nibbling her ear, she hears a gasp.

Willingly succumbing, Sarah acquiesces when Mio's tweaks her nipples.

The blonde leans in close and puts her arms around Mio's neck. It takes less than a heartbeat for their tongues to begin twirling.

Although not as wild or adventurous as her twin sibling, Mio does something here that she usually waits to do in the Dojo shower. She reaches her hand into the American blonde's bikini bottom and fingers her.

"Oh fuck!" cries Sarah as she cums.

Both Shizuru and Naru hear Sarah's passionate screams. The two look at each other and begin to get their own ideas about having some 'fun' with their blonde bombshell housemate.

A couple of minutes later, Mio steps out of the women's area holding hands with a red-faced Sarah.

The two receive a lot of giggles and laughter from those already in the water.

Kanako gives Mio and Sarah a dirty look for all their commotion in the changing room, even though she is going to have sex with her Onii-chan tonight.

Ten minutes later…

"Geezus! We could hear you two upstairs! Do we have three sluts around here now?" asks Reiji very sarcastically coming out of the changing area with Keitaro. _Both men have shorts on._

The derisive comment coming from him startles the women in the onsen.

Kaolla and Shinobu, coming out the other changing area take his hands as they get into the spa together. They missed the shenanigans that went on just a few minutes previous.

Quietly, Keitaro sits in the onsen with Kanako on one side and Motoko on the other. Even he is weary after a long day of working on the newest Hinata building project.

There is raucous laughter from everyone as Kitsune, Mio and Sarah give Reiji the 'evil-eye'.

Shinobu turns bright red.

Embarrassed by what he said, Mio sits back and folds her arms across her chest. At the same time, she slowly slides down into the onsen. Stopping at her nose, Mio glares at the others.

Sarah gently squeezes her hand under the water.

Some events around the Hinata leading up to the winter break…

The project with the Hinata's dressing rooms is progressing very well.

Keitaro has his friend Keiji come over to lay tile in the dressing rooms.

"Between these two rooms, along with mudding and curing, you should be able to use them in a week," Keiji tells Keitaro.

Keitaro knows that he cannot help move this situation along any faster and that the rest has to sit until the mud is dry.

Laying the carpet will just have to wait.

The next day, Keiji brings a couple of other workers with him so he can get the job done faster and more efficiently.

When the new men learn that Keitaro is heading the project and pays generously for good work, they jump at this opportunity. Keiji sets a good pace, but does it in such a way that no one has to kneel on them.

Keitaro steps over some freshly laid tiles to see the progress that the men are making. He is amazed at how fast and efficiently the crew moves. The diamond-wheel blade gets a good workout in Keiji's chop saw.

Keiji re-assesses his estimate and tells Keitaro that the tiles will be dry in two days instead. The men's side should be good to go by the weekend.

"Keitaro, this is a nice facility that you here. Good quality stuff everywhere," says Keiji after laying the last tile.

"This has needed to be done for a long time," responds Keitaro, "The shit Maki and I hauled out of here the other day was pretty bad."

Catching his eye, Maki tells him the plumbing is ready to be married into the existing pipes.

Meanwhile, on the other side Keitaro and Maki have less to clean up. That is because Maki brings his whole crew in to rip that side out.

Some of the guys are disappointed that none of the girls are around, but Reiji serves them a great lunch.

Then they put in the additional plumbing to bring everything up to current building codes.

"Hey, Kei. Where's the main junction for the building's incoming water supply?" asks a man named Boma.

"I'll show you," answers Keitaro, "be prepared for anything when we get down below in the labyrinth."

The man gives him a quizzical look.

Leading Boma down through the maze of tunnels that is below the Hinata, Keitaro finds the pipe in question.

"Shit, isn't there anything easy around this old place?" asks Boma bewildered by the jumble down here.

Keitaro smiles at his friend's comment and says, "Not really." He stays with plumber until he has everything joined together.

There is nothing worse than wandering around down here and getting lost. Besides him, only Kaolla knows how to navigate the ancient system of tunnels underneath the Hinata.

Some of the workers stray out into the common areas and see the communications center.

Up in the laundry room working, Reiji has the TV on while doing his work up there or he would have said something about the common areas being off limits.

They also meander into the dining area and see the large buffet table. One of them makes a couple of off color comments about seeing cute women here, but a throat-clearing sound from Keitaro gets their attention.

"You guys watch it around here," says Keitaro with Maki backing him up, "I will not have any of you bothering those who live here. If I catch anyone, there will be problems." _These men are very good workers, but they are only human after all._

Getting back to work after Keitaro's admonition, the workers manage to stay on track for the rest of the afternoon. No need to piss anyone off, as the crew clears a lot of junk out of the Hinata by the end of the workday.

"Be back here tomorrow morning at seven-thirty, we still have a lot of work to do," says Maki before he and his crew load up their gear to head down the back road.

Meanwhile...

The end of semester exams are very grueling at the Academy to say the least.

On the junior high side, Shinobu cannot believe how simple everything was and flew right through her tests. It helped her to have four former and five present University students study every night.

Keitaro too helped his petite chef in every way he knew how by spending some time with her.

She also has been helping her friends here as well, because Akiko was having some challenges with the curriculum. However, with Shinobu's help, she has been maintaining a good grade point average.

On the high school side, Kaolla finished the exams in record time.

Naru, giggled as her friend grumbled about how easy everything was.

Though not too difficult for her, Naru likewise does excellent on the exams and sighs after a long pause when she puts her pencil down.

'Now I wonder what Shi-chan has planned for our winter break,' thinks the brunette. All she wants to think about now is her silver-haired lover since the semester is virtually over. She is also happy that class dismissal is coming up as well, because soon afterwards the brutal two-day Toudai entrance exams will be taking place.

Downstairs, Motoko used her amazing powers of concentration and completed her exams with an expectant smile on her face. She took full advantage of Kaolla's birthday gift and used it to study with the others in the third floor family room.

In using her time wisely, she hopes that it will soon bear some fruit. _Her Keitaro-sama helped as well, just as he did with the others._

The Academy posted the grades on a board the next morning.

All four have something to boast about…

"My Keitaro-sama will be so proud of me when I tell him," says Motoko quietly after seeing the postings.

No longer bearing the shame of being an Aoyama, she remembers what her lover said about taking pride in your accomplishments. Since Motoko is both Urashima and Tamashiro now, she then does so.

"YAY!"

End of Chapter


	10. A time of transition and change

'The Hands of a Man'  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Chapter 10: A time of transition and change

Keitaro bows to an old family friend as he enters an out-of-the-way workshop in a rural area north of Tokyo.

The man returns the bow and says, "I will bring you the items that you had requested, Urashima-sama". Then shows his client where to go.

Coming into a back room, Keitaro sits on the floor and waits.

A minute later, the man returns and sits on the floor opposite from him.

"As you see, Urashima-sama. These are some of my finest pieces yet," says the shop owner smiling. In his hands are two long and two short bundles wrapped in the finest silk. Then, he sets them before Keitaro bowing once more.

"That is why I came here today, Shirohime-san," responds Keitaro with a nod, "You have given only your best work to the Urashima."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Urashima-sama," says the man the man feeling a sense of pride knowing the reputation of the young man before him. He believes that his work will have a good home.

Inspecting his purchase, it amazes Keitaro that such objects can still be constructed with this much quality in in this modern age.

"I am always at your disposal, Urashima-sama," says Shirohime-san who bows before both men rise to their feet.

Paying for his items, Keitaro slides them safely behind the rear seat of his pickup.

What he has had done will bring much joy to two who are very important people in his life. _Moreover, one is especially dear to him._

After arriving home, Keitaro sets these treasures in a secret place until he can formally present them to their new mistresses.

Inside the Hinata…

Motoko comes home and shares her good news with everyone. Her grades have vastly improved, as has her class ranking.

Shinobu too has very good news as she has earned the top ranking for her grade at the Academy. _She thanked her Senpai and the others for their help._

"Shinobu-chan, it's because of your own hard work that you were able to achieve that benchmark," says Keitaro smiling at her. He immediately gets one of the young teens patented 'thank you before squeezing the stuffing out of him' hugs.

Kaolla and Naru share that they rank first and second for the entire Academy. _The latter getting a big kiss from her girlfriend._

Keitaro then chases Shinobu out of her kitchen as he and Reiji make dinner for the four teens.

Kitsune has had little time during the day for her journalism work or answering e-mails. She and the Tea Shoppe staff have been very busy since Haruka left with Tsuruko on holiday.

Usually a small municipality like Hinata City slows down to a trickle this late in the year.

Nevertheless, with the influx of new residents, especially young execs and retirees, business has not slowed down in the least. With a tram station across the street, Haruka's place is a very convenient place to get tea, coffee to go or a quick bite before heading off to work.

In addition, Haruka did not tell Kitsune to extend business hours. Therefore, as a rule, she closes right at the stroke of five. _No exceptions._

Up on the Hill, the Fox has a man to please and hopes to get some writing done too. _Maybe…_

Now comes the fun part of her day.

Elsewhere, Sarah wrestles with something near and dear to her…

Looking out the window at the sprawling Toudai campus from her adopted Papa-san's office, Sarah is feeling rather forlorn right now.

She cannot get Mio out of her mind and realizes much to her horror that she has fallen deeply in love with the twin.

Sure, the Mutsumi lookalike annoys her by kissing and fondling her huge breasts all the time when they are alone. _Then, she thinks about how they have been sharing a shower together lately and how Mio likes to finger her._

'Shit, if only the sex wasn't so good,' thinks Sarah about easy the other woman can manipulate and get her into bed.

_She does not blush._

Before meeting Mio, Sarah considered herself bisexual. This is because she has had liaisons with both boys and girls. Kissing her first girl after school one day when she was thirteen and then giving her virginity to a handsome graduate student while on a long expedition at fifteen. _There were no regrets and she has nothing but good memories from those times._

This is where her predicament now comes into play.

For some reason, the twin affects her much differently than any of her other lovers have. It does help that Mio knows all of her secret spots and by touching them just perfectly, can turn her into a puddle of goo without trying very hard. _In addition, her tongue does such crazy things when she goes down on her._

_Sarah blushes at that last item._

Mio has such soft hands, and everywhere she touches makes her body feel good.

The orgasms have been incredible.

Only bad part is, as it is quite embarrassing, she has to change her panties a lot more often than she used to.

Pulling away from the window, Sarah sits at an empty desk and sighs.

Her next thought is about how happy Haruka and Tsuruko seem to be, plus seeing this as well in Shizuru and Naru, as both couples seem happy in their relationships.

Even Mutsumi and Kanako along with Mitsune and Motoko look content although they are not gay.

'Something like either one would be nice,' she thinks bringing a hand to her chin. _Sarah has never wanted or even considered being in a permanent relationship with a man._

"All finished," says Seta logging off his computer.

'I need to talk to Mio-Senpai,' she thinks breaking from her thoughts.

Hearing her Papa's voice brings her back to reality.

"Would you like a ride back to the Hinata, Sarah-chan?" asks the lanky Kyōju, "Maria-chan isn't expecting me home for a few hours."

"Sure, the weather really sucks right now," she answers distractedly. _It seems that her mind is not fully back from its 'wool-gathering' yet._

The ride is a very quiet one, as Sarah is not in the mood for talking right now, as she note that he is a much better driver than when she was little. _At least there is still hope for him._

Noriyasu notices how quiet his daughter is and how deep in thought she appears to be. Knowing to leave it alone, he knows that Sarah always comes him when she needs to talk.

Turning, the vehicle heads up the back driveway.

"Arigato, Papa-san. Oyasumi nasai," says Sarah kissing his cheek as she exits the van.

Walking over the bridge to the backdoor, she grabs hold of the backdoor as the van heads down the back road.

Sliding the rear door open, Sarah quickly removes her wet shoes and puts on some dry house slippers.

By her wet boots sitting there on the low shelf, she sees that Mio is already home.

"Good," hisses the blonde quietly.

Then making a beeline towards the stairs, she totally ignores Keitaro coming down and heads up the stairs to her room.

'Deep in thought,' thinks Keitaro assessing the young woman's mood as they had passed by on the main stairwell.

Dropping her backpack on the floor by her desk, she sits on her bed for a moment, steeling her mind for what she wants to do next.

The sky is bleak outside and a light snow is beginning to fall. It looks like the winter seasons is finally upon them here in this part of Japan.

The need finally comes upon Sarah to confess to the woman she loves.

Taking a deep breath, she slides her door open and steps out of her room.

In taking this first step, the young blonde knows exactly what she wants now.

In the hallway, she notices how quiet everything is between her and her destination.

Standing outside of Mio's door, Sarah knocks without hesitation.

"It's open, come on in. I'm decent," says Mio in singsong fashion.

Without making a sound, Sarah slides open the traditional door and steps in. Sliding the door closed just as quietly, she sees Mio sitting at her desk with her back turned to her.

Taking a few steps across the floor, Sarah stops as the darker-haired woman suddenly stands.

Turning just at that moment, and before Mio can say anything, Sarah grabs her and lays a scorching French kiss onto her mouth.

Releasing her after the kiss, and becoming the aggressor this time, Mio willingly allows the blonde to strip her naked.

On the large western-style bed, Sarah does things to Mio that neither had thought about or experienced before that moment.

"Yes," cries Mio as the blonde pries her legs apart.

For the next hour, the two women speak no other cognitive words between them.

Later, Mio is holding a naked Sarah in her arms after some of the most passionate sex in her life. _What she had just experienced here with her lover defies all description._

Both of them hope that their screaming was not too loud. Neither of them wish to undergo any teasing at the dinner table.

"As great as that was, Sarah-chan. I have to know what brought out this sudden compulsion in you?" asks Mio propping up on one elbow in her queen-size western bed so she can look at the woman lying next to her.

"A few things, Mio-Senpai. First, although you like to tease me, I believe that you really like me. I like the way that you gently fondle with my large breasts. In addition, with the exception of my Papa and Kei-kun, all of the other men I know are jerks. You are pretty, warm, funny and smart. Lastly, I have fallen deeply in love with you," says Sarah in rapid succession wanting to be completely honest with her.

"Whoa," says Mio taken aback, "I'd say you've thought this out pretty much." She knows how forthright Sarah can be when expressing herself. 'Sort of like a fiery Keitaro,' she adds kissing the blonde's forehead.

"Yes, I have. Because I could easily have jumped into bed with one of the men who have confessed to me on campus, or maybe have started a tryst with another woman. I didn't want to do that and for the first time in my life, I know exactly what I want. Mio-Senpai, I know that this is kind of out-of-the-blue, but will you be my girlfriend?" asks Sarah looking into her eyes. _There is no hint of trepidation in her voice._

"What? Are you sure that you want to do this, Sarah-chan?" asks Mio when she sees that Sarah is very serious. She has been hoping for this moment, although with her asking and Sarah answering.

"Am I going to a lesbian now? Who in the fuck knows, Mio-Senpai? All I know is I just want to be here in this bed with you right now. And as for the rest of the world, it can go fuck itself for all I care," answers Sarah snuggling into Mio's chest while hugging her waist.

Smiling, Mio lies back down and pulls Sarah in very close. Without any preamble or hesitation, she kisses her lips and says, "Yes, Sarah-chan. I'll be your girlfriend."

There are no whoops of joy, no screams of delight or squeals of happiness, just some steamy French-kissing followed by more sex.

In the quiet of this early evening, Sarah has finally found something that she has been searching for in her life.

Mio has what she wants.

Later…

Mio and Sarah come down to the dinner table holding hands.

Sitting there with the others, everyone sees them glowing.

"Well, is it what I think it is?" queries Kitsune with a mischievous smile. Being bisexual herself, the Fox notices the signals between the two rather quickly.

The youngest two residents are slightly baffled.

"Sarah-chan is the one who confessed to me, so I said yes to her," says Mio without hesitation looking at the brunette across the table from her.

Shizuru smiles at them, and giving the two a knowing look, she says, "It's about fucking time, you two."

Naru catches on as well and smiles at the Hinata's newest 'yuri' couple.

Motoko blushes. She too knows what is happening here, because of her recent experiences with both Kitsune and her Ane-ue.

Smiling, Reiji keeps silent as he looks to the head of the table.

Mutsumi and Kanako smile, and say nothing.

Hana is at work.

Keitaro knocks on the table so that dinner may begin.

"Itadakimasu," says everyone after settling down.

The new couple smiles at their Kanrinin as they head over to the buffet.

The dawning of insight…

Keitaro prepares to sand down some wooden dowels on his lathe and feels something wet on his cheek.

Knowing what it is, he has not felt anything like this in a long, long time. Stopping in mid-stride, Keitaro turns off the machine and puts the sandpaper strip in his hand down on his bench.

Before Keitaro can take a step back, tears begin to fall unchecked from his eyes.

"Why now?" he asks himself sitting down on his main bench.

When he had entered middle school, for some reason Keitaro began to bottle up his emotions and would rarely let them out. If they did come out, they were tightly controlled and no one could ever figure out why. Except for schoolwork and his projects, few ever saw Keitaro's happy side.

This is especially true when he entered high school.

Now as an adult, Keitaro cannot so easily put these reminiscences away in his mind and just cuts loose.

_For the first time since he was twelve, half a lifetime ago, he openly weeps._

Keitaro does so alone, as there is no one else around to hear or comfort him. It has been so long that he does not know what to do, or even how to stop it.

Therefore, he does not try as the teardrops continue to fall.

After a few minutes of this, Keitaro dabs his eyes with a clean kerchief. He takes his apron off and hangs it up. Any inkling or idea of doing any more work is totally gone from his mind now.

The catharsis of shedding a fear tears, and feeling burdens lifting off his shoulders, has not quite struck him yet. It may take him awhile to learn this concept with the help of some who care about him.

'I guess I don't know everything,' he thinks setting aside any thoughts about working on his projects.

Feeling somehow relieved, Keitaro grabs his winter coat off a hook in the hallway and after closing up his shop for the evening, heads out the basement over goes for a walk.

Passing over the bridge, he wants to be alone so he can think things through and re-assess his priorities.

The next afternoon, a mental ass kicking…

"Moshi, moshi! Keitaro here." he says after turning on the speaker feature to his smart phone. Keitaro is in his office updating the progress of the locker room re-build on a flash drive in his laptop.

"Hey, Kei-kun. How is everything going? Or, do I need to come back and kick your ass," says Haruka.

"I think I might need to have my ass kicked, Haru. By all of the gods, sometimes being smart makes me feel stupid," says Keitaro dryly.

"What happened?" asks Haruka who knows his moods.

"It seems I've overestimated being able to compartmentalize my thoughts, and some of them somehow are coming out to bite my ass this evening. Also, I am having a lot of difficulty in controlling my emotions right now," answers Keitaro bluntly and without any hint of sarcasm.

"Tell me everything, Kei-kun," says Haruka not liking the sound of what he had just said to her.

For the next fifteen minutes, Keitaro empties out his heart to Haruka. Not about the goings on around the Hinata or at her Tea Shoppe, but personal things with him and the small breakdown that he experienced in his woodshop. He left no detail, no matter how small out of what had happened to him earlier. Keitaro was even fighting tears as he was even sharing this, because he had allowed no one access into the inner workings of his heart. This included her, his parents', Kanako, Mutsumi, his bedmates or even Hina Obaa-san.

He is pouring himself out to his beloved cousin on an unprecedented scale as never before.

Somehow, through this process, a catharsis begins to settle in as Keitaro begins to feel somewhat lighter in spirit.

Haruka has never heard him talk like this before and it startles her greatly. _In a good way however…_

"So, Kei-kun. You have finally decided to talk like this to me now?" she asks not totally believing her ears. _Her major may have been Business at Toudai, but her minor was in Psychology._

"I guess," answers Keitaro with a hint of resignation.

"Listen to me, you fucking shithead. I don't know how many times I've told you to do two things, and what were they?" asks Haruka angrily. She is using sarcasm right now because he gets too single-minded sometimes.

"Stop to smell the roses sometimes, and to think about other peoples' feelings. I know that you told me these things when I was younger until you were 'blue-in-the-face'. I'm sorry that I didn't listen back then because now I am acting like a whiny, petulant child," answers Keitaro in a roundabout way. The situation is leaving a very bad taste in his mouth.

"Well then, Urashima Keitaro," says Haruka in her 'Kaa-san' mode, "Get your head out of your ass and talk to the others that you trust there before you lose them. I do not want to go through this a second time with you." Knowing that when he gets like this, it is time for her to be stern with him, as she really hates doing this to her favorite relative.

Nevertheless…

"Okay, Haru-chan. I'll figure it out," responds Keitaro knowing that Haruka loves him and has to be firm with him.

"Good!" responds Haruka, "At least with that brain of yours I hope you can fix the problems in your relationships before they get out of hand. I just do not want to see you end up being all alone. In addition, Kitsune is good for you and after some of the shit she has been through in her life, please do not go and lose her. Do not forget about Motoko, Kanako and especially Mutsumi. It can get messy now that you have a kid. Like I said, use that fucking brain of yours, it's a damn good one."

"Thanks, Haruka. But I know that you called me for another purpose," says Keitaro understanding her perfectly.

"Yes, I did," she replies changing modes, "Tsu-chan and I are going to spend some more time down here. It seems something very interesting has come up and she wants to see it through. I called Kit already to let her know about it, so she will be running the Shoppe for a while longer. And speaking of Kitsune, talk to her when you need an ear, she's the perfect one for you."

Keitaro can tell that she is smiling through the phone.

"I will, Haru-chan. Say hello to Tsuruko-nee and Hiroshi for me," says Keitaro, "I'll call you soon."

"Thanks, Kei-kun. I know you'll work everything out," says Haruka knowing that once he gets onto something, he takes care of it.

Keitaro puts his smart phone back into the belt clip and sits down to think in his big swivel chair. For the first time in a long time, he is not thinking about what he is going to do next.

Just sitting here in the quiet to clear his mind, all he wants to do now is think.

Then, Keitaro remembers with great sadness all of the things that he missed earlier in his life by being the way he is. Things like junior and senior high clubs, dating girls because Mutsumi was too far away, the third year graduates trip to Hokkaido and all of the other things that made being a teenager fun. He knows that he had accomplished a lot during that time, but he has no fond memories to look back on either. He does not even get a call or an e-mail from anyone he went to school with. Sure, his peers had a lot of respect for him back then, but he did not allow himself to get close to any of them. He also has it in his mental catalogue of things and recalls all the disappointed looks on peoples' faces when they just wanted to have fun with him.

With this last thought weighing on his mind, Keitaro gets up and heads back down to his woodshop.

Coming back around…

"Shit, as much as I hated looking back, it's all that I can do right now. I really have missed out on a lot of things in my life," says Keitaro just above a whisper. Normally, he keeps all of the thoughts in his head bottled up, but…

"Hey, Kei-kun," says Kitsune peering in from the doorway, "Sorry to pry and I didn't mean to overhear you." Looking at him, she can tell that there is something off kilter here.

"You didn't, Kit-chan," he says looking up at her, "Come on in, I need the company right now." For the first time in a few days, Keitaro has a genuine smile on his face.

Kitsune comes in and does not sit in a chair. No, she sits on his lap because the man she loves needs her.

She will do anything to comfort him as well.

"Your timing is perfect, Kit-chan," says Keitaro wrapping his arms around her slender waist while pulling her close. All he wants to do right now is feel the warmth of her body against his. Nothing else matters to him at this moment in time. He wants to let the people in his life get closer to him and believes that this is as good as any place to start.

"I'm here for you, Kei-kun. And I always will be," she whispers as her arms drape loosely around his neck.

Keitaro knows that Kitsune is more than just a beautiful woman which he has sitting here on his lap, to him she is now becoming someone that he can fully trust and rely on without question.

Somehow, Kitsune understands that his sad expression is only the tip of the iceberg and something more deeply seated is bothering him. She then places a gentle kiss on the side of his face.

"Kit-chan," he says after a period of quiet between the two, "I make this promise to you and the others. I'm going to slow down and start enjoying what I have for a while before starting on any new projects."

"Kei-kun, I know how much fixing this place means to you," she says smiling at him, "All I want is for you stop when I am through with work. Motoko-chan would love to see more of you as well when she comes home from school. To say nothing of Hana, Mutsumi and Kanako. Even the youngest two want to see more of you."

The two of them receive a little surprise when they see Motoko standing in the doorway there wearing a very beautiful Yukata.

They invite her in.

She comes and sits on a bench right in front of where her bedmates are.

The teen beauty looks at him with her hands demurely in her lap and says, "I am here for you as well, my Keitaro-sama. I meant it when I said that I was already yours, so trust me as you do Kitsune and Mutsumi-Senpai."

Then, it seems as if Keitaro's good Karma has returned.

"Kei-kun, I personally am glad to hear that," says Mutsumi standing in the doorway looking in, "My heart has always been yours and like these two, I will be an ear when you need one as well." She can be very quiet as Tama waves to him from atop her head.

Entering the workshop, Mutsumi sits next to Motoko on the bench. Somehow, she instinctively knows when the man she loves is hurting and needs her.

Keitaro nods and smiles at the turtle.

Then the Fox comes in and curls up in the bed that Keitaro put in here for her. She just puts her muzzle between her forepaws and looks at them.

"I guess that makes it unanimous," says Kitsune.

They all laugh.

After his outpouring of emotion, their laughter is a very refreshing sound.

True to his word, Keitaro puts all new projects on hold and says it will stay this way until at least the middle of January. It does not take him very long to reschedule everything because of how Kaolla has set up his computer folders. He will still get all of his projects done and maybe even enjoy doing them more after a short hiatus.

Lastly, he emails Maki and Keiji informing them that he is taking a few weeks off. His two friends answer and say that they will be ready to help him if they do not already have something else lined up when he is ready to start up again.

The work on the Hinata women's bathroom is complete. The men's side just needs to have the lockers installed and the water turned back on.

The Dojo has excellent facilities, so the inconvenience to him will be negligible as the winter really is not that bad right now. _He wants to keep his word to the girls about slowing down for now._

The winter break begins…

On the northern island of Hokkaido just outside of Sapporo, Shizuru's family has a European-style chalet that she is taking Naru to for their holiday. The two pack a lot of lingerie as they plan to spend a lot of time up there in the pursuit of sexual pleasure with each other. _Naru believes that with her improved eyesight, it will be her most enjoyable holiday yet._

Before leaving, Naru tells Kitsune that she is a pervert for giving them some extremely filthy suggestions. As she does, Mutsumi adds hers to the mix with both Shizuru and Naru telling her that she should be ashamed of herself. Mostly for not telling them these things earlier, so that they could at least first try them out on each other before leaving the Hinata.

Deciding to head off on their own also, Mio and Sarah hop into the twin's car. Informing Keitaro of their plans, the newly minted Yuri couple decided to spend some time away from the Hinata.

Kanako has a long talk with her precious Onii-chan about doing something with him after the New Year's holiday and is very happy when he feels the same way. Keitaro finally clears some of the air with her as she sees that her precious Onii-chan is only human after all.

He also tells her that he wants to get to know his Imouto-chan and become closer to her as well.

The two spend an intimate evening in bed together. She freely gives herself to him and the two share some very passionate sex. _Nothing makes her happier than this, because she loves him very much._

With Kanako wanting to be with their parents for the holidays, he drives and drops her off the next morning along with Kuro-neko.

Surprising his family, Keitaro stays for dinner that evening and makes them both very happy.

In addition, Reiji is going Kyoto to spend time with his Okā-san, so he will be gone until at least the end of January. _At Hiroshi's invitation, he will also be going to Osaka to visit the Tamashiro's with his Okā-san._

The two youngest girls go with Keitaro to the train station in Yokohama.

"Take care of Kei-kun for me girls. He can be such a handful sometimes," says Reiji before hugging both Shinobu and Kaolla.

"We will," they respond together when he releases them. Heading toward his train, the trio waive back from the platform the older cousin gets onboard.

After the train departs, Keitaro hold hands with the two as they head back to his truck.

"How about we go out for dinner tonight?" asks Keitaro while climbing into his truck, "I know of a very good restaurant over in the Shinjuku area."

The two girls smile while nodding enthusiastically.

Doing up her seatbelt in the front seat, Shinobu asks, "What about the other Senpais, Senpai?"

In the backseat of the extended cab, the Princess leans forward on the center rest/storage bin and giggles. The inquiry by the petite chef caught her a little off guard.

Even Keitaro smiles and has to snicker.

"I'll call Kitsune and have her tell the others what we have planned. Anything else you want to do before I dial?" he asks the two while preparing to use his hands free phone that was set up in the truck.

"Nothing that I can think of, Senpai. We are already going holiday shopping the day after tomorrow so I am okay. How about you, Kaolla-chan?" asks Shinobu looking over at her friend.

Sitting back for a minute, Kaolla crosses her arms together and puts a hand under her chin to think. Shaking her head smiling, she says, "Nope, I just want to go eat."

"Well, Kaolla-chan," Keitaro says smiling warmly, "I promise you this, you'll get plenty where we are going."

They pull out into traffic on a main artery in the capitol.

The two girls are happy seeing him like this.

They pull into the parking lot of an all-you-care-to-eat buffet restaurant.

"Thank you, Onii-chan," says Kaolla whose eyes light up as they exit the truck and enter the front door.

Back at the Hinata…

Relaxing, Mutsumi and Hana are in the onsen.

They are alone because Kitsune is up in the third floor study room working on a new article since the Tea Shoppe has closed for the day.

Motoko is in the Dojo working out as she feels the need and can use the distraction. Her Keitaro-sama will be home after a while and exercise is a way for her to let off some steam.

"Hana, how is work going?" asks Mutsumi just trying to make conversation. Tama is lying on top of her head and the little turtle is enjoying some time with her mistress.

"Good, very good as a matter-of-fact, sorry for being so quiet. I was just thinking about something," says Hana a bit distracted. She looks over at her younger friend and smiles.

"Care to share, or would I be prying?" asks Mutsumi smiling.

"I was wondering what Keitaro would be like as a boyfriend?" asks Hana who has been thinking about him a lot more lately.

"He's a very good lover I'll tell you that," says Mutsumi giggling unabashedly, "and, he's also a good man to have around. I have a good reason to think this way because of the special bond we have."

"I know that you two have a son, but do you ever wish that he was your husband?" asks Hana looking at her with a serious tone that conveys much.

"Yes and no, Hana. I want Keita to know his Otō-san and that is very important to me. I believe that Keitaro accepts the fact that he is an Otō-san now and wants to have his son here with us. I know that that's a roundabout answer, but Keitaro is too valuable to me to ever force into marriage," says Mutsumi thoughtfully.

At first, she looks down at the water, but then she turns her head towards Hana and smiles brightly.

"What's that smile for, Mutsumi-chan?" asks Hana curiously. Since she has known Mutsumi, the Okinawans' thought process seems to perplex her somewhat, but at the same time, it seems to be very logical as well. _At least for Mutsumi that is._

"You want him too don't you, Hana-chan? Even though we've talked about this a few times, I know you want Kei-kun as a lover too?" asks Mutsumi as her smile turns mischievous.

At first, it is quiet.

Then…

"Since I left my Tou-san's home after divorcing my ex, I have been getting very horny as of late. It is terrible, Mutsumi-chan. I want Keitaro and I want him badly, but with him already having some very beautiful women in his life, I don't see him wanting me," says Hana standing up.

The petite woman does not go far as she sits on the edge of the spa behind her. A slightly downcast visage covers her face.

"Oh I think I can help you with that, Hana. If you'd like?" asks Kitsune coming out of the changing room.

The other two look over and with their eyes follow her as she steps into the onsen.

"Why would you help me since I want to be with your lover too, Kitsune?" asks Hana. _She does not know about the meeting that his three lovers had with him not too long ago._

"Hana, I can think of a few reasons. One, he is man enough for the four women who have him now; two, I love him and trust him, so does Kanako, Motoko and Mutsumi here; three, he was not my first, but he is my only lover now; four, you look like you need to 'get laid' before you explode. I see the look in your eyes every time he walks by you now. I bet that your panties are probably wet all the time now too," says Kitsune matter-of-fact. _She does not have that impish vulpine look in her eyes._

"Am I really that transparent? Shit, sometimes I want to fuck him so bad that I could just scream," responds Hana. Surprised, she sees that Kitsune, like Mutsumi, knows her only 'too well'.

"Hey, I understand that. I wanted the same thing and even though he knows all about my past, he still makes love to me," says Kitsune looking a little down as she does a quick retrospective of the six months she spent in Tokyo before coming to the Hinata.

"What happened, Kitsune? It might help if you get it off your chest," says Hana seeing how something pains the normally strong-minded ash-blonde.

"I don't like to talk about it much as only Hina Obaa-san, Haruka and Keitaro know about my past. I was a bad party girl when first I came to Tokyo and almost got in on the bad side of the Yakuza. One guy I knew tried to put me as a worker in one of his 'soap' clubs, but Hina Obaa-san somehow found and rescued me from him by threatening his life. It seems that the Urashima family has a lot of pull in Tokyo and even the Yakuza fear them. Must have to do with the police finding ten of them dead soon after I met her, it seems that some martial arts experts had killed them. I am not going to speculate on that, but I swore then afterwards, I would never be that stupid again. Well, the only exception to that rule was when Kei-kun took me out for my twenty-second birthday. When I met Kei-kun, it was just after he inherited the Hinata late last spring. I instantly fell in love with him when he walked into the Tea Shoppe and have never regretted it," says Kitsune breathlessly surprising the other two.

"Shit, I see we both have had a bad history with men before meeting Keitaro," says Hana. _The other two already know about her history._

"I'm feeling kind of out of place here. Nothing has ever happened like that to me. When my parents found out I was pregnant with Keita, they were very supportive and took excellent care of me," says Mutsumi looking first at Kitsune, then to Hana.

"Don't feel too bad for me though. I have reconciled with my Okā-san and we e-mail each other all the time now. Plus, like you, I've got Kei-kun," says Kitsune starting to smile again. _It felt good for Kitsune to get that off her chest._

"My Otō-san was there for me when my ex beat me just before I left him. He took care of everything and protected me, but now I am here and live in a good place. So with this I don't want to look backwards anymore," says Hana standing up.

"Hey, Hana. Before you head inside, do you want a share of Kei-kun too? How about it? I know you like him," asks Kitsune of a fellow kindred spirit, then adds, "What do you think, Mutsumi?"

"Hana and I were talking about that same subject just before you came out here, Kitsune. I think that we, along with Motoko and Kanako should set them up. Hana, you need him and I know that he'll take good care of you as he does us," she answers looking over at the petite nurse.

"He does a lot more than just work, drink and fuck. He's a lot of fun to be with even though he may be a little quiet sometimes," says Kitsune laughing.

This gets the other two laughing as Hana's face blushes bright red.

An important thing…

Together, the Okā-san and Otō-san of a five-year-old boy prepare his room. This does not go against Keitaro's promise to slow down because the furniture for Keita's room is already finished. They just need to move it up there.

When Mutsumi sees everything that Keitaro has made for their son, it nearly brings her to tears. _Her smile gets extra bright right then._

The residents who are still here at the Hinata pitch in and assist in bringing the new furniture up the Keita's new room. Bed posts, a large and small dresser, a bedside table and a kotatsu for when he gets older goes in there as well.

Mutsumi smiles at the fine job that Keitaro did at making everything.

Kaolla installs a camera and a speaker system so that they can monitor Keita while he is in bed. The teen genius shows Mutsumi how to operate both systems and then with Keitaro's help, she installs some new flat-screen monitors so that they can watch their son anyway within the huge manse.

In Keitaro's office, in his and Mutsumi's bedrooms Kaolla places the extra video screens. In addition, Kaolla suggests that they should place some in the Dojo and his workshops too.

"I can set this up so it can be wireless if you want, 'Onii-chan'. I can even design a platform so that you can watch your son on any laptop or other device that you have here in your possession, even your smart phone," says Kaolla in a very serious tone.

"Sure, Kaolla-chan. That would be great. Even if Keitaro or Reiji are watching him I can know what's going on as well," says Mutsumi smiling that everyone is helping with this project.

"Mutsumi, I can even help out sometimes after I get off from work," says Kitsune. She has also had some thoughts about having a baby with Keitaro. This is after learning about their son, so she would like to have some practice caring for a child until then.

This surprises the others and they stare at her.

"What, I like kids," says Kitsune defending herself.

"Sure, I think that Keita will like you. But, he can be a handful because he is five-years old, and my Okā-san said that he runs everywhere now," says Mutsumi as a caveat.

"Ah, what the hell. It is not as if I do not get a workout down at the Shoppe. Plus, I've been exercising a lot in the Dojo and with his Otō-san in bed," says Kitsune who causes shock at first and then laughter in the others.

Shinobu turns bright red.

"Kitsune, only you could look at it like that. I think you should just behave yourself around that little boy," says Hana laughing with the others.

"Unlike what Reiji may think, I am not a slut. I'm a woman in love, so I would never harm the son of the man that I love," says Kitsune in a very serious tone. She looks at Hana and the others with her eyes wide open, which lets them know that she means it.

"Okay, let's drop it for now. We do not need any more drama around here. I just want a quiet holiday season and then I want to draw my luck on New Year's Day with my family. Let's finish up and go to the onsen," says Keitaro. He sighs and finishes putting his son's bed together.

"Yes, Kei-kun," the two women say together. They can tell that he does not want to hear another word from anyone.

They are now ready for when Keita moves in with them.

Hana acts…

Getting home after a short shift, Hana wants to go with the others when they go shopping later. It is the day before Christmas Eve and although she is a devout Shinto practitioner, the petite woman want to have fun during this festive western holiday.

Keitaro does not want to cut down and waste one of the properties' beautiful pines or spruces, he tells the others that they can set up some decorations in the atrium and the stairwell if they wish.

He takes everyone out for dinner that evening, and although there is a kitchen full of fresh food, Keitaro feels like going out. The man wants to get into a festive mood for once. The thought of being with his Hinata family this evening makes him feel warm inside.

Alone for a few minutes, Hana smiles and thinks about what the two women said to her in the onsen the other night. She may act on her own if she does not have some serious sex with the owner of this place soon. Keitaro is the antithesis of her ex and she wants to experience what making love is like with a real man. _No matter what she does, she cannot get Keitaro out of her mind._

The evening before may have been the final push that she needed to make up her mind.

This is when she saw Keitaro and Kitsune alone down in the onsen late at night screwing like minks. She felt like a voyeur when the two were having very passionate sex right on the edge of the spa.

Hana quietly gasped when Kitsune went down on him, and his size, she almost fell over in shock when it was standing there fully erect in the moonlight. She almost could not stop herself from masturbating when Keitaro slid that monster into Kitsune.

The Fox screamed loud enough to cover her moans and both women climaxed together at the same time.

Hana had to bite the palm of her hand to keep from crying out as she squirted. Her knees gave way as she slid down the wall smiling. This done, she stayed there until the strength came back into her legs. _Hana saw quite a lot._

"That's it! I cannot take being horny all the time anymore. I want what she had last night," says Hana quietly.

Getting off her bed, she opens her closet to change clothes. Not seeing what she wants in there, the petite nurse then goes over to her bureau. Hana pulls out a nice sweater and a pair of jeans she has not had on since high school.

"Oh, Kami. They still fit," says the petite nurse. She turns some and looks into her floor length mirror to see how the denim pants flatters her nice ass. This woman has to realize one thing: she may be petite, but she has a very hot little body and that she should flaunt it a little more.

'I graduated from high school eight years ago and thankfully my boobs are a little bigger. If only I had met a man like Kei-kun back then,' she thinks looking closely at herself with a big smile.

Feeling a little smug for the first time in her life, the normally quiet twenty-six year old leaves her room and saunters down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Passing by Keitaro, Hana stops and looks up at him with a different kind of smile than one she is used to wearing. In addition, like the back end of her pants, it is showing off quite a lot.

Keitaro, for his part, catches onto this real quick. _Before he and Kitsune made another memory last night, she asked him if he would take Hana out. He remembers his answer._

"Did you enjoy the show last night?" asks Keitaro with a smile.

"H-how...?" asks Hana stammering in return. The woman is in shock that he knows she was out there watching what was going on. He never said anything, even when they were at breakfast together before she left for work this morning.

"Next time you are a voyeur, take the diamond studs out of your earlobes," says Keitaro wanting to flirt with her, "Kitsune is the one who saw them sparkling over by the women's wash area. But, be that as it may, did you enjoy what you saw outside Hana?"

All Hana can do is nod.

Keitaro pauses…

She then does something then that surprises them both.

The petite nurse reaches up and grabs the collar of his flannel shirt. Using strength she did not even know she had, Hana pulls him down the thirty-plus centimeters that separates their respective heights. She throws her arms around his neck and places a big wet French kiss onto his mouth.

'What the hell am I doing?' she thinks as the kiss deepens and goes on for a few more minutes.

Liking her aggressive stance, Keitaro puts his hands on her rear end and picks up the tiny woman who wraps her legs around his waist as they now make out.

'Damn! She's good,' thinks Keitaro as their heat builds up.

After the kiss, which slowly ends, Hana says, "I know I'm not as beautiful as some of the others are, but will you accept me as one of your lovers."

"Will it bother you if you're not the only one that I'm sleeping with?" he asks.

"No, not really, Kei-kun," answers Hana touching her forehead to his, "As you know, I was married once and that was shitty, I don't want anything like that ever again. I want a man who will be there if I need a lover, a friend, someone who will listen to me rave on about work or just as you are normally, a quiet steady presence that is nearby. I want to share a warm bed with you, make love to you and have someone to enjoy a date with on an occasion sometimes. You are the most fascinating man that I've ever met."

The two pause and say nothing, as Karma will have its own way with them.

Gasping audibly, she feels something rather large pressing against her crotch.

'Oh shit, he's huge just like the other two had said,' she thinks.

"I like that, Hana. It's a lot different than what anyone else has shared with me," says Keitaro smiling at her confession. _He cannot help being hard right now._

"Right now, I feel like a teenager and not a twenty-six-year old woman," says Hana enjoying where his hands are, "I have never had someone hold me like this before."

"I can change that, Hana. Holding you like this is great because you're light as a feather which makes it easier to kiss you too," responds Keitaro giving her another quick kiss. _He is relishing flirting with this woman._

She kisses him again and he wants her, but...

The kiss breaks unexpectedly.

"Slow down, Hana-chan. If you don't, I won't stop until you are mine," says Keitaro adding an honorific of endearment to her name.

Keitaro puts Hana back down onto her feet and they both step back from each other for a moment.

Both of them take a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

Hana can see why he said what he did when she looks at the huge bulge that was up against her. She was starting to rub herself on it to quench her fire and had to stop right before events began to escalate.

"You're right, Kei-kun," says Hana looking up into his eyes trying to get her equilibrium back, "If you had not put me down right then I would have cummed in my pants. However, I am going to tell you this right now, I want you and want you to make love to me. Next time, I won't be satisfied until you have that big monster of yours deep inside my pussy."

"Arigato, Hana-chan. I needed to hear that," says Keitaro smiling, "How about we go on a date right after the New Year's holiday. My birthday is on the 5th, so choose any day after that and I'll make reservations at the best restaurant in Tokyo."

"I will hold you to that, handsome," says Hana hugging him around his waist as she nearly cries into his lower chest.

Keitaro hugs her back and feels comfortable standing here in the hallway with this tiny woman in his arms.

Hana is very happy right now, she wants to thank the others for being supportive of her. _Hana especially wants tease Kitsune about her tryst with him last night._

He leans down to kiss once her more time before they head downstairs hand-in-hand.

A night on the town…

Feeling as if things have turned around for the better in such a short period-of-time, Keitaro has not had another bout of guilt or regret since he was last toiling in his woodshop.

He just hopes that this trend continues even after starting in again.

In addition, it boggles his intelligent mind at how his Karma has gone from tense to hopeful without him feeling the need to brood about it. He has learned that going through these changes, though extremely difficult sometimes, helps him to see things from someone else's perspective a lot better.

On to other things…

The seven remaining residents are all standing in the common room and gathered around Keitaro. He asks, "Mutsumi and I are driving into Tokyo this evening, who wants to go with whom?" _He leaves it up to them while trying not to command the situation this time._

"I want to go with Mutsumi," says Hana as she has some things to talk about with the Okinawan.

"I wish to be with my Keitaro-sama," says Motoko smiling at him.

"I'll go with Mutsumi too, Kei-kun," says Kitsune giving Hana and Mutsumi the look. She wants in on the other women's conversation.

The two younger girls want to be with Keitaro.

He has everyone do a smart phone battery check before heading out the backdoor to the parking lot.

Keitaro takes a quick look over at the radio table and sees that everything is good.

The resident all then put their shoes and jackets on, before heading out for their fun trip into the big city.

Keitarotells Motoko and Shinobu that whatever they want, he will buy it for them if they do not have enough money on hand.

"Senpai, I'm good. The have plenty of money that I had earned from doing extra chores," responds Shinobu.

"Kaolla, I know you're all set. So let's go help the economy," says Keitaro. The three teens look at Keitaro for a second as he surprises them with his sarcastic humor. _They then begin to giggle._

"Onii-chan, you're terrible," says Kaolla leaning up between the seat dividers as is her usual. _She tries and fails to stifle her giggles._

The trip for these four is nothing like the teasing filth fest that is going on over in Mutsumi's car.

"Let me just say this, Hana," says Kitsune looking back at Hana, "When he gets that huge cock of his inside of you, you will definitely be walking funny the next morning. Ask Haruka about how I was after my first night with him. Shit, I had to wear a knee length skirt because I could not put my knees together. It seems that after he rammed his huge cock into me, I became totally useless to the rest of the male population of Japan."

The Fox is in fine fettle this evening and is swearing like an old rice harvester's wife.

From the back seat, Hana listens to the ribald tales of Keitaro's sexual prowess as told by both of the others in the front seat. She is getting wetter as the filth from their mouths while the two continue to spew forth.

"That isn't all, Hana," adds Mutsumi, "The man can go on for hours. You would probably think that he'd be susceptible to Priapism, but I've never seen a healthier man in all my life." As a nursing student, she knows that the RN in the backseat understands perfectly well about all aspects of this subject. (Writer's note: Priapism is a condition where the penis does not become flaccid after sex)

"Shit, I don't know about that because he is well over thirty centimeters long with a giant purple head," says Kitsune with a straight face, "I thought that he was going to tear my pussy wide open with that fuck monster of his. Try taking it up the ass sometime, as he'll have you begging for mercy in no time."

"KITSUNE!" scream the other two loudly, as they begin laughing very hard.

"Stop that, or I'll have to pull over if I start laughing too hard," says Mutsumi teasing the woman to her left, "Sheesh, I think Reiji-kun's right sometimes. You are a slut."

This causes all three women to laugh to tears.

"Oh come on, Mutsumi-chan," says Kitsune teasing right back, "You have had a son with him. He probably bounced you up-and-down like a basketball before you got knocked up."

Mutsumi and Hana are now just howling.

"Damn it, Kit," says Hana through the tears of her laughter, "If you keep that up I'm going to pull you back here and rape you myself if you don't stop."

"Mutsumi, pull over," says Kitsune looking over at the Okinawan who starts to laugh when she sees her friend's reaction.

"Not on your life, Kitsune," says Mutsumi still laughing, "I do not want any stains there on my seat back. If you want to have sex, I'll just have to drop you two off at a love motel or something."

"Shit! You get to fuck her and I do not get to have any. That isn't fair, bitch," says Kitsune in a mock pout getting more shocked laughter out of the other two.

Mutsumi gives her a 'what me' look before giving the Fox a playful backhanded swat on the arm.

"Please stop, I'm on the verge of getting wet," says Hana wiping the tears away from her face, "I don't want to walk around Tokyo like this." She has not laughed this hard in a very long time, as the release feels very good.

"Okay, Hana," says Kitsune wanting to get one last jibe in, "I will be merciful and let you off with just slightly dampened panties. Seriously, he is a fabulous lover and can be very tender as well. Though I like it when he fucks the living daylights out of me."

"Forget it, Hana," says Mutsumi with a hint of mock exasperation in her voice, "When Kitsune gets like this, she can be very difficult to stop."

"I can see that," responds Hana. She takes stock of the 'shit-eating grin' on Kitsune's face in the rear-view mirror and thinks about her upcoming date with Keitaro.

So onward they go.

Pulling up to a building that the Urashima own, Keitaro and Mutsumi come to the ramp entrance to an attached parking ramp. He has Motoko roll down her window and flash his access card across the reader and pulls forward. _Keitaro has a foreign built vehicle so he is sitting 'on the wrong side'._

The gate comes down so Kaolla hops out the backdoor of the truck with the pass card and jumps into Mutsumi's car.

Mutsumi rolls down her window and does what Motoko did. She then follows him up the ramp to some spots marked 'for Urashima family use only', where they park.

First, they check out the Akihabara district's stores for gifts. All of the electronic toys, games and gadgets boggle their minds except for Keitaro and Kaolla.

Then, they see many of the otakū fanatics gathering at different places to find the latest game. Along with this, some college students are having a 'cosplay' contest in front of a large manga store.

Walking along in a group, Keitaro has Kitsune and Motoko on his arms, Hana has Mutsumi's arm and Kaolla is holding hands with Shinobu.

_It seems that no one cares about the PDA taboos this evening._

Keitaro knows that his son will need clothes, toys and everything else that an active five-year-old boy will need. He and Mutsumi shop in some stores that cater to young children.

Hana, who is very curious about this, goes along with them.

"Kitsune, keep an eye on the girls while Mutsumi and Hana come with me to find presents for Keita. Call me when the four of you are done shopping and we'll go to dinner," says Keitaro.

"Got it, sweetie. See you soon," says Kitsune as she and Motoko kiss him.

Kaolla almost kisses him too, but a blushing Shinobu restrains her.

"Stop that," says Kaolla.

"Wait until you're older, Kaolla-chan," says Kitsune backing up the petite chef.

Kaolla mumbles a bit as the others laugh. The Princess soon smiles again because since she works with him a lot around the Hinata and can pick a better time.

To have fun, the two groups split up and go their separate ways.

Keitaro does not have to worry about their safety too much, because he has personally trained them all to take care of themselves. _Therefore, perverts beware!_

While walking past a store that has a Kendo equipment display in the window, Keitaro thinks about a special gift that sits at home and smiles. The other two see this.

"What's up, Kei-kun?" asks Mutsumi as the trio walks down a crowded sidewalk.

"I'm sorry, Mutsumi-chan. It is just that the store back there made me think about a special gift for Tsuruko-nee and Motoko-chan. I can't tell you what it is right now, but let me say that it will give them something back that they had recently lost," says Keitaro.

"You don't mean," is all Mutsumi says as a light comes on.

Looking at her, he nods causing the Okinawan's face to light up.

Not surprisingly, she gets up on her toes and kisses his cheek. "That's wonderful, Kei-kun," says Mutsumi.

With no clue as to what they are talking about, and since she has not known them for very long, Hana will not pry into their business.

With this, the trio head into a children's clothing store.

The other group heads into a hardware and tool store that they all know Keitaro would love to come in to.

"If Kei-kun were to see this place, we'd never be able to pull him out of here," says Kitsune sarcastically knowing how her lover thinks. _Especially when the subject is either tools or gadgets._

The others nod in agreement with her statement.

Going up and down the aisles, our quartet tries to find something that Keitaro would want or need when he works, but that in of itself is very difficult task. Standing here in the middle of the store it seems that he has everything a hardworking man should own back at the Hinata.

After a moment, Motoko comes up with an idea on how to solve this little dilemma.

"Kaolla-chan, you have seen all of Keitaro-sama's possessions out in his workshops, sheds and storage lockers. Do you see anything here that would interest him?" asks Motoko who is with the blonde genius as they explore the different products down a particular aisle.

_Kitsune and Shinobu headed together to peruse a different aisle._

Thinking for a moment, Kaolla looks down the row and smiles, she grabs Motoko's jacket sleeve and leads her to a tool maintenance and repair kit display. The shelf in front of them has different types of small kits with wrenches, lubricants, small brushes and a handy pouch for storage on it.

"With all of his toys, Onii-chan will need something that keeps them all shiny," says Kaolla. There are three different types here, so the two teens grab one of each.

Over in another aisle, Kitsune and Shinobu are looking at hand vacuums and other small woodshop items. Strange that they would have some of this stuff here, but neither of them is complaining. _As long as Keitaro is happy, they are happy._

Shinobu buys her Senpai a new hand vacuum.

Kitsune though, she is going to wait until the next store. Unlike Kaolla over in the other aisle, she has little idea about the tools that her lover uses, so she is going to get him something to help him while he is working or after he finishes for the day. Things, like maybe a new music player or some good smelling hand cleanser.

'It's hard to buy things for such a practical man like Kei-kun,' she thinks.

More stores and more items they see before breaking up to shop individually, but not out of the sight of Kitsune. She doesn't have to worry about perverts messing too much with the youngest two after Shinobu told her about kicking in the 'nuts' of a well-known molester just before the semester had ended. _The damage that she caused was so extensive the doctors had to castrate the man._

They all shop for about another hour or so when Keitaro calls Kitsune. They meet where they parked, and lock all of their purchases up in the two vehicles.

"How did everyone do? Did you all have fun shopping?" asks Keitaro who has Mutsumi and Hana take his arms.

"Let's just say that this is going to be an interest holiday, Kei-kun," says Kitsune smiling. She takes Shinobu's hand and they walk together. Kaolla and Motoko walk arm-in-arm in front of everyone.

"Well, I promised to take everyone to dinner so let's go," said Keitaro.

Kaolla says, "Yes!"

The others just laugh.

Christmas Eve, an important day…

On a cold morning, the sun comes crawling up over the horizon.

It is shortly after the winter solstice, so along with the changing mood at the Hinata now the lengthening of the days, though not noticeable yet, brings a sense of optimism to a certain someone here.

What is really striking to the two bedmates, Keitaro is still in bed when he usually has a couple of hours work done and under his belt before eating his breakfast.

Until further notice, he has decided to kick back and enjoy his 'slacking off' time.

This morning however, Mutsumi snuggles into him letting him know that he is not alone as she begins to stir. The life of a college student is such that they pray for days that they can just lounge around in bed and not have to rush off anywhere. Here she is, and for now, this is exactly where she wants to be.

"Hey sleepyhead, Ohaiyo," whispers Keitaro into Mutsumi's ear. Then kissing it gently, he hears both a little giggle and a contented sigh from her.

"Ohaiyo, Kei-kun," says Mutsumi kissing the cheek of the man she loves. She is very content right now after a good night's sleep helped along by some, in her estimation, excellent lovemaking.

Right now, she has no intention of moving or even getting up. _Not for a while anyway._

In the large bedroom next door, Motoko snuggles into Kitsune and does not want to get up either. The younger woman learned quite a few things from the Fox last night since she was alone with her bedmate.

The remaining Hinata crew has an acute case of being lazy this morning, as no one wishes to get up.

What really is striking about this picture of the two women in bed is that they are both in lingerie, very sexy lingerie at that.

This is not a rare situation because Kitsune usually has something extremely skimpy on or is completely naked in bed, and Motoko is the same way now or sometimes wears a short Kimono robe when she sleeps.

For some reason, neither of them wanted to be different last night when they made love to each other since Keitaro was elsewhere.

"Ohaiyo, Motoko-chan," says Kitsune holding her teenage bedmate close while softly kissing her lips, "I see you don't want to get up either."

"Ohaiyo, Kitsune-Senpai," responds Motoko feeling a bit sticky between her legs, "After the fun we had last night this bed actually feels very good this morning, although I do need to use the bathroom right now." Returning the kiss, she attempts to clear the morning haze out of her mind.

"Me too," says the Fox needing the facilities herself, "good thing we have water closets on both floors now." Sitting up, she allows the comforter drape off her luscious body.

Standing on the floor, she stretches and looks at the ensemble she has on, "I bought this originally for Kei-kun to strip me out of it before fucking my brains' out. However, after what we did last night, I think he won't mind if I enjoyed showing it to you first."

Just giggling as she blinks her eyes a few times, Motoko sees what Kitsune is talking about right now.

"I think Ane-ue and Haruka-sama would love a full report of what we did here last night," says the taller woman as her bladder is now quite full.

"Quiet you," says Kitsune grabbing a pillow and throwing at Motoko.

In advance of heading to the door, she promptly blocks it from hitting her.

The Fox then blows her a raspberry.

Rushing out of the room, she listens to her bedmate's laughter trail behind her.

Kitsune soon follows and heads down to the indoor locker room.

Hana gets up early, and unlike the other four, she promptly heads into the kitchen.

Shinobu is already in there and has breakfast going having already fed Shippu, the fox and Tama-chan.

"Would you like some help, Shinobu-chan?" asks Hana after seeing what is going.

"Thanks, Hana-Senpai. Would you get the coffee urn going, please? I already have the teapot going for Motoko-Senpai. Then could you get the sausages out of the walk-in after that," says the petite chef in rapid fashion.

"Sure, you got it," says Hana using Shinobu's spare step stool to get down the coffee. Having two petite women in the kitchen makes them glad that Keitaro lowered the cupboards and cabinets when he moved the kitchen into the old Urashima banqueting hall, or they would never be able to reach anything in here.

"Mmmmm... coffee. Now that really brings me around," says Kitsune smiling as she changes into something less revealing. A lecture from either Haruka or Reiji is not something she wants to hear when those two return.

Keitaro has told the girls that their locker room, the one here inside of the Hinata, is essentially finished. Just some minor trim work still needs doing to a couple of walls and then it will look perfect.

Keitaro and Reiji though will still have to use the Dojo's facilities for a while.

After everyone finally drags themselves out of their beds and down to the dining room, they eat what Shinobu would describe as a western style brunch.

Except for Kitsune, Hana and Shinobu the others are hardly dressed.

Then, they all see a sight that none of them has ever seen before, and that is an unshaven, half-dressed and yawning Keitaro with uncombed hair in need of a shower.

"I need to take a picture of this because Haruka won't believe me when I tell her," says Kitsune snapping pics of a slovenly Keitaro sitting at the table.

"Thanks a lot, Kit. The one morning that I let myself go and you pounce on it," says a smiling Keitaro before taking a pull of his coffee.

"You know it, sweetie," responds the Fox with some sarcasm before kissing his lips.

Motoko tries and fails to stifle a giggle.

"This is quite rare indeed," says Mutsumi who looks like a ravished woman this morning, she glows looking the very image of disheveled herself.

"And you, welcome to Reiji's slut list," says Kitsune still in fine form from the evening before.

"Hey, your locker room is done," says Keitaro evenly, "I still have to go out back. Mutsumi though, well she'll tell you when she's ready."

The woman-in-question is still half-asleep with her head in hands.

Shinobu and Hana bring the food to the table. _The petite chef did not feel the need to use the steam table this morning._

"Too much sex last night, Mutsumi-chan?" asks Hana leaning over and whispering into the Okinawan's ear.

"What do you think, Hana-Senpai?" asks Mutsumi, "I am sitting at the table when I should still be in bed sleeping. Plus, I need a shower because... oops."

Mutsumi stops herself from saying something stupid a she feels something leaking out from down below.

"Hey, Mutsumi," replies Kitsune with a grin, "I'm eating over here, tell me everything later."

With this Keitaro gets up and says, "I need a shower as well, and badly too. If Reiji-kun were here, he would be all over me for being very unhygienic. See you all in a little while."

Taking his dishes to the kitchen, Keitaro places them in the dishwasher. Seeing that the tray is full, he sends it through on a cycle before heading outside and over to the Dojo.

Keitaro does not want to use the onsen this morning. He wants to run cold water over him to shock himself awake after his night with Mutsumi. "Shit, she was almost as bad as Kitsune last night," says Keitaro while heading out the back door.

Soon afterwards, everyone is dressed and the kitchen is immaculate. The remaining residents worked together to tidy things up.

Keitaro comes back into the common room where the others are just sitting around and sharing small talk. Six residents and the three animals are all here enjoying each other's company.

Mutsumi is now taking a shower to clean up from the evening before. She thinks about all of the events that will be happening soon.

After drying her hair, her smart phone rings. Running her finger across the faceplate, she puts is to her ear and says, "Moshi, moshi. Mutsumi here".

The person answering on the other end causes her to smile.

When the call ends, Mutsumi runs out of the locker room and quickly runs upstairs to her room.

Dressing as fast as she can, Mutsumi sneaks out the back door and hops into her car.

Without informing anyone, she heads off to an unspecified destination.

End of Chapter


	11. The tide slowly turns

'The Hands of a Man'  
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's notes: Most of the main events takes place in the space of just one day, as there will be much to cover.

Some new material added not that was not in the original writer's version of this chapter.

Chapter 11: The tide slowly turns

There are five residents inside the Hinata, and instead of just sitting around watching TV, they all decide to decorate the inside of their home.

Keitaro heads over to the Dojo for a while, he needs some exercise since there is nothing else for him to do.

"This place seems so big right now," says Hana, "I can almost hear the echo of my voice." She is standing in the middle of the first floor and looks around.

The traditional look of the old Urashima homestead comes through when you look up at the upper reaches.

"Feels kinda' creepy too with so many gone on holiday," responds Kitsune yawning as she steps out the front door for a moment.

"Only she'd say that," says Hana offhandedly.

The three others here giggle.

When she comes back in, Kitsune has some bright green leaves with berries attached to it.

There is activity going on around the common room.

"I saw this growing outside and picked some of it before remembering the old European custom." She then pins it above the entry right after the main foyer.

"I guess you're glad that Kei-kun had that ladder in the storage closet," says Hana giggling.

"What's this for, Senpai?" asks Shinobu innocently enough standing underneath it and looking up.

"This," says the delinquent Fox. She then promptly proceeds to give the startled young teen a very romantic French kiss.

"KITSUNE!" the others all scream as they all laugh very hard.

Shinobu blushes so red that she nearly faints.

"What?" Kitsune asks. She tries to act innocent but the smirk on her face gives the Fox away.

"So, there's wild mistletoe around here. I thought that that plant only grew in Europe and North America," says Hana after stifling her laughter. She looks over at the resident genius who nods.

"That maybe so, but there's plenty of it outside just over to the right of the long stone stairway," says Kitsune pointing over her shoulder with her thumb.

No one has a clue as to where Mutsumi had run off to since she went to take a shower. She has not been answering their calls or text messages, and her car is gone from the lot when they look outside.

Meanwhile…

Keitaro furiously works out in the Dojo and so misses all of the silliness back inside the Hinata. He has finally gotten up enough gumption to lift some weights and do something productive with his time off. According to his way of thinking, it has been too long since he last bench-pressed or curled anything other than his tools or a beer can.

He wants to stop feeling sorry for himself and forget the guilt that had been gnawing at him recently.

Keitaro knows that doing something will keep his mind occupied and off other more serious matters right now. Feeling empty inside is not fun especially when people are depending upon you. Finding out you have a son and that he is coming to live here helps him fill in part of the void.

Other matters will have to wait.

However, the word 'slow, is not usually found in his vocabulary, and putting aside all of his projects is causing Keitaro a major conundrum.

"How do I keep busy when I've promised to take it easy for a while?" asks Keitaro to the seemingly empty air. He moves on…

Presently, there is nothing better for him than to be on his back, and bench-press a lot of weight overhead to keep himself motivated.

"It has been too damn long since I have done this," says Keitaro smiling after putting the bar back on its stanchion. He sits up and wipes his brow off after finishing the lifting sets at the bench.

He walks over to a treadmill and sets it at a moderate pace. He does not remember the last time he went for a good run either. He used to do ten kilometers three days a week and enjoyed the solitude.

'That's the operative word' he thinks coming to himself. 'Solitude', and when you add the word, 'workaholic', these two words seem to sum up the subtotal of his almost twenty-five years of existence so far. Especially the last twelve.

"Fuck, is that all I am? Two fucking words, a whole lot of building projects and few happy fun memories. Shit, that part of my life has to end, and it has to end now," says Keitaro angrily after his run.

Keitaro hates doing all of this introspection. He is feeling vulnerable for the first time since he became an adult.

Turning his brilliant mind over to a more positive way of thinking, Keitaro is thankful for the five women in his life, the son he will soon meet and the difference he is making in the lives of those who live with him. Sure, he cannot bring back the past, but he can at least change and/or alter his future.

A new thought comes to him unexpectedly and Keitaro feels his heart start to warm.

Then an idea hits him.

**Flashback: the Tamashiro residence, Pt.1**

An excerpt of some events that happen just after Tsuruko and Haruka arrive in Osaka. It leads to a lot of healing and a few surprises.

Tamashiro Hiroshi is quite a few things, but being a bitter man has never been one of them, although he at times just suffers from melancholy. The reason now is because Hiroshi misses his wife of over thirty years, and even though he is the one who left her, he lays none of the blame on the woman he loves. No, it is that damned family of hers. She is overseeing the remnants of a once mighty, very proud and extremely wealthy family that has declined due to their arrogance, opulent overspending and neglect. With no blood heirs remaining due to the recalcitrance of Tsuruko coming out of the closet and Motoko's defection, the once mighty Aoyama will soon be no more.

In addition, he could gloat or act very smug over their imminent demise, but Hiroshi will not because he misses his beloved Kimiko very much. He would drop the divorce petition that he filed in a heartbeat if she ever were to leave the Aoyama and join him here in Osaka.

Hiroshi hopes that Karma is on side…

All everyone in the Tamashiro household is doing right now is talking about what is going on back at the Hinata.

Both of the teenage girls are fascinated by the Hinata and the 'goings on' back in Haruka's hometown. Emiko seems to get a gleam in her eyes whenever anyone mentions Keitaro's name.

Tsuruko laughed when Emiko asked if she could send his pic to her in an email.

Laughing when her girlfriend told her of the request, Haruka sent both girls his pic making them very happy.

Sato Oji-san is especially interested in what Keitaro has done to his families' ancient home and all of the improvements that he has made back there. He is also very curious at how Haruka's cousin can handle all of the stress of being the Urashima heir and at the same time, be a workaholic.

Riisa Oba-san asks her niece's lover all about the workings of her Tea Shoppe and about the people who frequent the place.

They all get a good laugh when Tsuruko regales them with tales of Kitsune's antics and salty language. It seems that Kitsune's Okā-san lives quite close to the Tamashiro residence.

Then, Haruka tells them about when Keitaro first arrived to take possession of the Hinata and its surrounding properties. She says that it was priceless to see Kitsune, a woman who usually is in control of herself, turn into a pile of mush when she met him for the first time. There is a lot of laughter at this.

Hiroshi is interested when she says that Keitaro not only shares a bed with her now, but his daughter Motoko as well. He knows this and does not object since she is well cared for by Haruka's younger cousin.

Knock! Knock! This shakes everyone there from the evening gossip time. The traditional wooden knocker lets them know someone is at the front door.

Since it is late in the afternoon, no one is expected.

Hiroshi gets up and answers the traditional style door.

When no one hears anything for a moment, everyone heads for the front of the house to see what is going on.

At the front door, Hiroshi is hugging a tall, very beautiful woman who is traditionally dressed. Although looking the perfect 'Yamato Nadeshiko' she is crying uncontrollably in his arms.

"Kimiko-chan, I've never been angry with you. My anger has always been with that damned family of yours and all the things that they did to us over the years. I blame them for how we have gotten to this point. I never stopped loving you and even sent a letter telling you that," says Hiroshi after pulling back so he can look into his wife's eyes.

"But, Hiroshi-kun. I have been such a bitch and you say that you are not angry with me. Shit, I even drove our daughters away and you can still say this to me," says Kimiko still crying.

"I'm here and I will forgive you for everything because you are standing there in Otō-san's arms, Okā-san. I would like to have my Okā-san back, but I won't do that if you continue with your old attitude towards me and my lifestyle," says Tsuruko without hesitation. She walks over to where her parents' are standing. Although she not an Aoyama anymore, Tsuruko cannot stay angry with the woman who bore her and her Imouto-chan for the rest of her life. At least she is willing to hear this woman out and listen to anything she may say if it makes her want to forgive everything and start anew. However, as it was just stated, she is an Urashima now and will not give that up because of her lover and her newfound family. The former, she loves absolutely and the latter, it gives her a sense of self.

It is Kimiko's hope that with the three of them standing here, an opportunity will present itself to bring closure to their present predicament. In addition, Kimiko wishes to rid herself of the score that she built up in destroying their family in the first place.

"My daughter, I do not deserve your forgiveness and I won't ask for it. What I did to you, your Imouto-chan and my husband was abominable. My actions towards you my elder daughter is especially unforgivable. No, I won't ask it, I will earn it," says Kimiko looking at her elder daughter with tears streaming down her face.

The guilt that has been building up inside of her is almost unbearable. She had almost slit her own throat after Hiroshi left. The only thing that prevented her from committing suicide was the letter that she received from him telling her that he still loves her. All that he wanted from her was to leave the Aoyama in Kyoto behind and start a new life with him here in Osaka.

"Whether you ask it or not, I will forgive you because of what you're doing now. Standing there in your husband's arms and showing emotion. This is how I can forgive you, Okā-san," says Tsuruko.

Haruka sidles up and takes her girlfriends hand.

"Ah, an Urashima. I am now totally undone, my daughter. For so long I had lacked the foresight to see that she was the one with whom you fell in love with. Oh to hell with what those damned people back in Kyoto may think. Haruka-san, please take care of my daughter. I now accept you as the one she loves. Please forgive me," says Kimiko.

She releases her husband before turning to face the two women standing in the Tamashiro's hallway, and bows to them.

"Arigato gozaimasu, Aoyama-san," responds Haruka as both she and Tsuruko return the bow together. Though she usually has a lot to say Haruka knows that this is a time for saying very little.

"Onegai, Urashima-san. Do not call me by that name anymore," says Kimiko before she steps back and bows to her husband adding, "Hiroshi-kun, I beg leave to be your wife again and please allow me the privilege to bear your family name from now on."

Hiroshi says nothing. He pulls his wife into his arms again and gives her a very romantic, as well as, lengthy steamy French kiss in front of everyone.

Kimiko begins to cry again because of Hiroshi's willingness to accept her back as his wife.

It may have started out as a marriage of convenience, but that did not prevent a spark of love from forming between these two.

"Come in, come in. Let's not stand out there in the cold entryway," says Ojii-san. He comes up to his son and daughter-in-law. He then adds, "I don't need your forgiveness because you didn't offend me. When I see the look in my son's eyes when you came in that's all I need to welcome you to my family, Kimiko-chan." He bows politely as the host and before she can bow in return, he embraces her.

Later on…

During a night that no one around here will soon forget, not any who lives here get any sleep until the wee hours at the Tamashiro residence.

At first, there is some giggling and moaning coming from Hiroshi's bedroom. _It is mostly female, but some male noises also permeate through the walls._

Then here is what follows that evening as it escalates into the night: a lot of crying out, some very loud voices, quite a few mewing sounds and topping it all off, some earsplitting screams.

The re-united couple act like teenagers when he stripped and hopped into his bed together.

At first, they were a little shy with each other, but when a spark strikes up inside them, the results were quite spectacular. _Minks have nothing on these two as together they re-discover the joy of sex, and end up fucking just as the animals described._

Tsuruko and Haruka desperately try to keep from laughing aloud, as the couple in the next room go at it.

"Almost as bad as Kei-kun and Kitsune," blurts Haruka in between guffaws.

Though she is happy for her parents' reunion, Tsuruko feels a little melancholy about this as well. _Nevertheless, in the end she ends up failing miserably and laughs very hard with her lover._

Riisa smiles at the goings on in her Onii-chan's bedroom, as she chases Emiko and Riko away from outside of his door. The two girls were listening in on the two older adults while they were performing oral sex on each other.

When the teens disappeared, she stood outside Hiroshi's door and listened to them go at it. Blushing deeply, she gasps while placing her hand up over her mouth in mock embarrassment at some of the things that the heterosexual couple were saying in bed. Making some mental notes, Riisa and Yukiko are not above spicing things up a little in their own bedroom.

Back in her room, she finds Yukiko laughing uncontrollably on their large bed at what was happening nearby and notices the blush on Riisa's face.

"Shit, I wonder how far down the road their caterwauling is travelling?" asks Riisa crawling back into bed. Seeing her girlfriend's visage like this causes her to laugh hard too.

"Geezus, Riisa-can. They sure as hell are giving the neighborhood a good show tonight," answers Yukiko sarcastically because she cannot stop laughing.

"Hentai," cries Riisa in the midst of her own laughter.

In the girls' bedroom, the two teens continue to giggle at the antics of their Oji-san and Oba-san. Looking at each other, they turn bright red at some of the nasty things the couple is screaming out as their night of passion continues.

Somehow, both of the boys are sleeping soundly throughout this whole episode. _Nothing seems to disturb either one of them._

Sato is sitting up in bed, as his wife sleeps, smiling that his Otōto has so much stamina this evening. By the way things are going in Hiroshi's room, Kimiko must be very thankful for this also. Laughing quietly when he hears another pleasured scream come from in there, and then, there is silence.

"Good boy," says Sato clearly pleased with Hiroshi.

Ojii-san just smiled and cheered his son on before falling asleep down the hall. _The dirty old man!_

Next morning…

Thecouple-in-question wakes up very refreshed as one of them glows for the first time in many years.

However, Hiroshi and Kimiko turn bright red when they come into the dining room for breakfast.

The five older women in the household break into laughter as they enter.

The two girls blush and giggle when the two sit at the table.

The two boys are completely bewildered as to why everyone else is laughing this morning.

The Tamashiro's subject the couple to some good-natured teasing, and they all laugh together.

The first part of their tale comes to a happy-ending.

Back at the Hinata, some late morning silliness…

The girls are bored stiff this morning, so they go over to the traditional side of the Dojo and work out together.

Keitaro hears them enter and decides to go over there himself and join them. For the first time in a long time, he has fun with the others and relaxes. The weights on the other side relieved him of his physical stress. Being with the girls relieves him of his mental stress.

Here is a little locker room banter after the workout.

"I never thought you learned to fight dirty like that, Mo-chan," says Kitsune. Her knuckles are sore from getting them rapped on a few times.

"Like I have said on many occasions, Senpai. You have to be flexible," says Motoko from her shower stall. Since working out with Keitaro and Haruka, Motoko has incorporated the Urashima way of fighting into what she already knows.

"Well, it's a good thing that I've been training every morning or I'd be in a 'world of shit' right now," says Kitsune, "And to think that a broom or mop handle could be so useful." She puts her head under the shower and just lets it run.

These morning workouts are having a good effect on the ash-blonde too, not only do they keep her in good shape, but she can also toss her much larger lover onto the floor or bed when she is feeling extra 'frisky'.

"How does it feel when Kei-kun pinches your ass, Kit?" asks Hana looking into Kitsune's stall before taking her own shower.

"What do you mean pinches?" asks Kitsune from under the spigot in return, "I'm lucky that my delicate skin down there doesn't bruise more easily from all of the times that Kei-kun has goosed me." _No one sees the smile on her face_.

Hana snickers derisively and gets 'the look' from Kitsune.

"I'll say, Kitsune-Senpai," chimes in Kaolla with a bright smile, "Onii-chan got you eleven times from what I had counted in there."

Shinobu laughs and blushes deeply.

"Quiet you! I don't need to hear from the human calculator about how many times Kei-kun goosed my ass," says Kitsune turning off the water. She steps out of the stall and...

WHACK! Kitsune snaps the teen genius on her bare backside with her wet towel.

"OW!" screams Kaolla. _This is something that totally hits her out-of-the-blue._

"Well then, Kaolla-chan," says Kitsune with a pleased smirk, "Behave yourself."

She is not the type to let an opportunity go by when she is trying to prove a point.

"It seems then that you've learned your lessons then this morning as well, Senpai," says Motoko giggling.

Seeing the dark-skinned Princess get towel snapped by Kitsune is one good reason why the others keep their teasing to a minimum around the ash-blonde.

Nodding, Kitsune gets the gist of what her bedmate says and smiles.

The other four watch Kaolla come out of her stall rubbing her sore rear.

**Flashback: the Tamashiro residence, Pt.2**

Within a week of arriving at her new home, Kimiko realizes that everything is so much better here than back in Kyoto. The people in the Tamashiro household actually love and care for one another. It is also strange to her that even though neither she nor her eldest daughter bare the Aoyama surname, their relationship is the best that it has ever been.

Nevertheless, she still needs to call her younger daughter at the Hinata and reconcile with her. Her courage, which is usually very formidable is lacking when it comes to this endeavor. Kimiko will ask her husband about this since she is Tamashiro now and will seek his involvement to resolve the matter with Motoko. She has no feelings whatsoever for her old family, mostly because none of them are even blood-related to her. _Even then, it is only distantly and not of the true Aoyama line._

There was a big uproar in Kyoto when the Aoyama found out that Kimiko had left to be with her husband. It no longer matters what they think of her and her daughters now, because as far as she is concerned, those people back at the Aoyama compound are all dead to her.

Her home is here in Osaka with her husband and this is where she will stay.

For only a second, she had shed a tear for all that has transpired and how much has been lost over the years, but when she sees her husband come into their bedroom, it disappears.

"Are you okay, Kimiko-chan?" asks Hiroshi as he sees her wipe away those tears.

"I will be, my husband," she answers a little formally.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asks taking her hand.

"Hai, Hiroshi-kun," answers Kimiko plainly, "Now that you mention it, you can. I will not hide from you anymore the fact that I need to do two very important things very soon. One, I need to call our Motoko-chan and reconcile with her. Two, I want to call Urashima Nagisa-san before her son comes here and talk to her about the disposition of the Aoyama legacy. I want to rid myself of it except for a few buildings and artifacts. I'll not lie to you and tell you that I'm not angry with them over there in Kyoto." _This subject though leaves a very bad taste in her mouth._

She kneels on some comfortable cushions with her husband as they look out a picture window together.

"I see, Kimiko-chan," he replies, "It would be good for you to 'wash your hands' of that place, as it holds a lot of bad memories for the four of us."

"The only part of it that I would keep would be the house we lived in, the groundskeeper's house, the Dojo and the shrine. The rest I will sell off to pay the Aoyama debt to the Urashima. I do not want what was to become a national treasure, as there is too much tarnish on what used to be good. When we finish that, I will personally go to Kyoto and burn the charter from the Emperor when the proper time comes. I owe that at least to my ancestors and to those who used to stand for something honorable," says Kimiko as a tear returns. _She is no longer sad after what this generation has done to dishonor their memories._

"I will support you in any way that I can, Kimi-chan," he says looking at her.

Hiroshi puts his arm around Kimiko and she kisses his cheek.

Kimiko leans into him and smiles saying, "I love you, my Hiroshi-kun."

Somebody is in for a world of hurt and this formidable woman, who is in the arms of her loving husband, is soon going to have someone dish out something very cold.

Back at the Hinata, an announcement and then a big surprise…

Keitaro is putzing around the kitchen helping Shinobu prep lunch.

The others are in here also because they are all bored again. _This is happening quite a lot today, boredom that is._

"Shit! In a million years, I never thought that I would ever say this. But, I really miss Reiji right now," says Kitsune re-filling her coffee mug.

"Why is that, Kit? Do you miss all of the sarcasm and insults," says Hana smiling at the Fox. The others giggle, as even Keitaro has to laugh at this.

"You should have heard what he said about your clothes selection the day that I created our bedroom, Kit-chan," says Keitaro with a huge smile.

The girls all stare at him for a moment. Hearing gossip and 'tripe' coming out of his mouth startles them.

"Where's my Kei-kun and what have you done with him?" asks Kitsune sarcastically.

He gives her a mischievous grin.

The Fox grabs his arms and looks at him square in the eye. Allowing what he said to slip by, she notices that there is something a little off with him, or maybe he has finally decided to join the rest of the human race.

However, Kitsune will judge for herself.

Motoko, on the other hand, just smiles at her Keitaro-sama.

"Kit, I'm sorry for being so stodgy all the time. When I was lifting weights I did a lot of thinking," says Keitaro looking back at her.

Then after a slight pause, he looks around the room.

"What were you thinking about, Onii-chan?" asks Kaolla while chopping vegetables. She is over her recent bout of 'achy' butt, courtesy of Kitsune, and back to her old happy self.

"Well, first of all I invited Motoko-chan's family, the Tamashiro's, to come up from Osaka for a holiday when school closes next summer," says Keitaro and sees Motoko smiling at this announcement, before adding, "After that, why don't we go to a beach resort somewhere and just have a lot of fun together, it will be my treat."

"Ah, does my Kei-kun want to see his harem in some hot bikinis?" asks Kitsune teasing him. For one, she likes the fact that her lover is beginning to loosen up a little.

"Yeah," he answers honestly.

Keitaro never gets the chance to brace himself for what comes next.

Kitsune's face has a look of total surprise on it. Then, slowly a feral smile breaks out on it before she jumps onto Keitaro and starts kissing the heck out of him.

"Senpai!" hollers both Motoko and Shinobu.

Everyone watches as the ash-blonde 'love-mugs' Keitaro.

The way that everything looks here, he is doing nothing to stop her.

"Shit, Kitsune. At least allow the man breathe," says Hana who is laughing at them very hard right now.

Watching while staying out it, the other three try to pull her off him without much success.

"No," she responds with a smirk and promptly returns to exploring the inside of his mouth with her tongue.

In a dilemma, Keitaro is extremely hard and knows that he will go off if his Fox keeps this up…

…as Kitsune understands about what may happen with her lover if she continues.

'Fuck' he thinks wishing that they were alone.

As the bit of extreme silliness in the kitchen plays itself out, elsewhere an event is occurring that will forever change the life of the Hinata's owner.

Meanwhile, in another part of Japan…

At a villa just outside of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido, we catch up with our youngest 'yuri' couple.

"Are you missing everyone back at the Hinata, sweetie?" asks Shizuru. The silver-haired woman is usually up by now, but after events of the previous evening, she decided to sleep in late with her girlfriend.

"Yeah I am kinda', Shi-chan," says Naru snuggling into her lover's arms.

The brunette sighs contentedly after waking up.

Together, they went late-night skiing; then there was a onsen party with some friends over at another resort that turned into a lesbian orgy; and when they got back to their villa, Shizuru and Naru had some very strenuous sex until passing out in each other's arms.

_What a time, ne?_

"As much as I hate to admit it, Na-chan. I miss them too. You want to go home and have New Year's with the gang back at the Hinata?" asks the silver-haired woman. She wants to go back because she considers the Hinata, with all of its quirks and characters, her home now.

Shizuru moves a little and releases Naru. In need of a bath because of the wild night that had just passed, she cringes a little after taking a quick sniff.

"This has been fun and all, but I'm all 'funned' out. Therefore, my answer is yes, Shi-chan. I want to go home," answers Naru also getting out of bed. She blanches for the same reason as her girlfriend.

"I guess we really worked up quite a sweat last night, eh sweetie?" asks Shizuru looking sideways at Naru. She gets her payoff by seeing the brunette nod.

Making a beeline to the bathroom, the silver-haired goddess gets her lover to follow.

While the Naru relieves her bladder, Shizuru runs the water to fill the large tub. _Neither of them are in the mood for any romance at this moment as they sit on the low stools and wash themselves._

When the bath fills up, they rinse each other off and quietly get in to soak.

Holding hands under the water, Shizuru breaks the silence by asking, "That was one hell of a night we had, eh Na-chan?" She looks over at her smiling.

"That's for sure, Shi-chan. I never knew that there were that many high-class debutante lesbians in all of Japan. Shit, can you imagine all of the fun that Haruka-Senpai or Tsuruko-Senpai would have had last night if they had been here with us?" answers Naru with a question as a gleam forms in her eyes. She is very surprised, to say the least, that so many extremely beautiful young women are just like her and Shizuru.

"Fuck, Na-chan," replies Shizuru, "Those two would have stolen the show." _Some of the girls that they had been with last night were both very beautiful and extremely aggressive._

After a moment, Shizuru tells her girlfriend that the place where they had skied at is a well-known getaway for spoiled rich young lesbians and their girlfriends. Many of whom she says to Naru even have their maids, live-in Sensei's or even their female bodyguards as lovers.

Naru looks over at Shizuru for a moment and smiles before laughing. She thought all beautiful rich girls chased after men, but the woman she is with easily puts that myth to rest.

When they finish bathing, the two dry off and get dressed. Eating a quick breakfast and cleaning up after themselves, they pack their bags and get ready to leave.

The evening before, the two said good-bye to the friends that they made over at the resort before coming back here.

Shizuru never saw the winks or phone numbers/e-mail addresses that many of the other women had given to Naru. However, feeling flattered by this, the young brunette just smiled and calmly threw them all away once they had departed from the place.

'I do not need these,' she thinks, 'I have my Shi-chan.'

Catching on to what she had done, Shizuru smiled and gave Naru a light kiss on the lips. _She did the same thing with the ones that they gave to her as well._

With everything said and done, the two take a limo ride over to the airport. Hopping on the private jet that Shizuru's family allows her to use, it flies them back down into Narita

A humbling experience…

Away from the Hinata, a serious situation has arisen that its participants never see coming.

Presently, Sarah and Mio, along with her twin sister Mei are standing on the front stoop of the Hinata. They are trying to gather up enough courage to go inside. This is nothing that any of them foresaw happening at this time of year.

Mio had told Keitaro that she and Sarah had planned to spend the holidays at her twin's house. However, she never expected to be back so soon.

Here is the reason why…

**Short flashback.**

_Mei, much to her horror, found out that the man she was in love with was a fraud and very unfaithful to her._

_He was using her to climb the social ladder in Tokyo society and she seemed to be gullible enough for him to fool. Seeing only the Hasagawa's wealth and position, he had tried to finagle a position within her Otō-san's company._

_Hearing certain rumors from reliable source, she personally hired a very good private detective. When she learned the truth about him, he finally admitted to Mei that all he really cared about was her family's money. She slapped his face and immediately threw him out._

_This hit her very hard because they had been together for a long time._

_Afterwards, Mei cried for days and days before Mio and Sarah showed up at her house. _

_It took a couple of more days for Mio to pull her Imouto-chan out of her funk and get her cleaned up._

_Once she shed her last tear and took a shower, Mei decided that she wanted to leave this house and the memories of it behind her. Everything was in her name, so she would not have to worry about her ex making a claim on it._

_"Mio-chan, let's take Mei-chan back to the Hinata with us. Kei-kun will know what to do," says Sarah who sees no alternative if they want to help Mei._

_Later, Sarah and Mio quietly plan everything out in their futon after Mei nods off with a sedative._

_"I think it would be the best thing to do, Sarah-chan," replies Mio quietly, "I don't want Mei-chan staying here after the shit that bastard put her through." The older twin was very surprised by the turn of events in Mei's life. She wants to protect her twin at any cost and see the bastard who used her, pay._

_In addition, they believe that Keitaro will know what to do next._

**End of flashback.**

Coming into the rear foyer finally, the three remove their shoes and enter. Walking down the hallway, they then see everyone seated in the common room. _By the mood of things in there, it looks like a happy crowd in there this afternoon._

"I think they're talking among themselves, and if they are, I don't want to bother them. Should we wait a while, Sarah-chan?" asks Mio whispering and looking at her girlfriend.

"Personally, I feel like such a fucking baka right now, Mio-chan. How in the hell are we going to explain this shit away?" asks Mei giving the other two a dubious look.

Mio is starting to feel very unsure about coming here, even though she does not want her Imouto-chan to be alone this evening.

In addition, Mei is close to being at her wits end.

"Calm down, Mei-chan," says Mio feeling a little lost about what to do next, "You will see that Keitaro is a good man. If anyone will know what to do, it is Keitaro, at least I hope."

Sarah looks at both twins and thinks for a moment. She believes that they should handle this head on just as Keitaro would do under these circumstances.

"Let's just get this shit over with," says Sarah sighing and releasing a breath she was holding. She hates things hanging over her head for too long and motions for them to head in.

In Kyoto, long needed call…

In the early afternoon, Reiji and his Okā-san have quite a lot of angry people to deal with on the Aoyama property. The last of the right line Aoyama secretly left them and has gone off leaving them with no tether to stay here on the grounds.

This is when he gets a very interesting call on his smart phone.

"Hello, Urashima-san. This is Tamashiro Kimiko," says a familiar voice though his cell phone.

At first, Reiji does not know who this is, but then remembers Hiroshi's family surname. "Ah, Tamashiro-san. You had me at a disadvantage for a moment. How may I help you?" asks Reiji after a brief pause.

Smiling at her introduction, he understands the full implications of why she had said it this way now.

"As you see now, I have taken my husband's name and set my old one aside," says Kimiko reining in her temper, "After the New Year's celebration, would you and your Okā-san please come to Osaka? I believe Haruka-san has given you the address. It's time that we clear up the mess there in Kyoto and try to save something of what was once good."

She is in no mood for playing games anymore and wants to put everything back there to rest.

"I see, Tamashiro-san," says Reiji smiling even brighter, "Would you be offended if I contacted my cousin Keitaro back in Hinata City about the new situation here?"

He looks out the window over at the Dojo where a meeting of the elders is occurring even as they speak.

"By all means, Urashima-san," says Kimiko in an even tone, "I have talked to my husband and elder daughter about this situation. I will hide absolutely nothing from you and say that we have reconciled with each other. I also want my younger daughter back and to dispose of the thing that almost tore us apart." _She is doing her best to quell both her anger and tears right now._

"I am very glad to hear this, Tamashiro-san," says Reiji who is happy about this news, "Okā-san is listening in to our conversation and she nods. We will be there a few days after the New Year's Celebration to take care of this mess for the last time. One last thing, is there anything you wish to preserve here?"

The wheels are now in motion and nothing will bring them to a halt until there is a final resolution of this state-of-affairs.

"Yes, Urashima-san, says Kimiko, "When you are ready, my nephew here in Osaka will send to you an e-mail that has a detailed list of what I wish to save and what I wish to dispose of there." _She is talking about her brother-in-law's eldest son._

"It looks like you've already put a lot of thought into what you want to do, Tamashiro-san," says Reiji who is very impressed with her diligence in this matter, as is his Okā-san.

"Yes, I believe that you can evict any Aoyama who still reside there because none of them have any family on the property or blood ties to me," says Kimiko, "I only ask that you retain the groundskeeper and his family. They are good people and should not be thrown out with the others."

She has always liked the family who kept the ancient place from falling apart back in there Kyoto.

"We agree and see no problem in allowing them to stay here, Tamashiro-san," replies Reiji in a business-like manner, "We will see to it as soon as we get the e-mail. We will call our family solicitors in Tokyo and get this started upon quickly. Yes, the six members of the keeper's family will be the only one left on this property. You are right about that assessment. None of the others have any family here and I can see why." _Sarcastically, Reiji adds this last bit._

This gets snickers from the two women in earshot of his comment.

At the Hinata, later in the afternoon…

"So, that's why you've come back. Well, welcome home and warm yourselves by the fire with us. Mei-chan, you can move in anytime you want. Shit, I would not want to go back there either after what you just told us. We can talk about settling things with the house you own after the New Year's holiday, if you would like?" asks Keitaro looking over at the new twin in residence.

"Yes, please," answers Mei. This short conversation seems to brighten her up some. So far, it seems everything that her Onee-chan has said about him is correct. She now just needs time to decompress and heal.

_As they say, time heals all wounds. At least in her case, we hope so…_

"We can take care of the paperwork later, Mei-chan," says Keitaro warmly, "and until such time, you may consider the Hinata your new home."

Right now, he is not interested in all of the niceties of getting the paperwork done. He sees a woman in distress and is willing to let things slide for a few days. That is, until Kanako returns and some sanity comes back with her, at the very least.

"Arigato, Kei-kun," responds Mio smiling.

Keitaro is glad to have Sarah and Mio home safely, and it is as if the two have been here the whole time.

Kitsune is busting the busty blonde's chops about things once more.

"Is anyone hungry?" asks Shinobu looking at the trio.

When the newcomers hear this, even Mei's face lights up.

A short time later, the backdoor opens and the second 'yuri' couple comes into the manse. The two newest returnees happily shed their boots and jackets. Keitaro helps them with their luggage as Shizuru and Naru put on their house slippers.

With these two home, the gabfest re-starts in the dining room with introductions of the two to the newest resident of the Hinata.

_This is when the language begins to exude itself from the gutter._

"What, too much fun up north for you two?" asks Kitsune winking at them.

"You don't know the half of it, Kitsune," says Shizuru nodding back at her.

"I'll just leave that one alone for now," says Kitsune.

At the table, Shizuru begins to regale them with some of the ribald tales of her and Naru's trip up north.

The others are learning very quickly that this silver-haired young woman can be almost as filthy as the ash-blonde is in describing the 'goings on' during the wild trip up north at her families' Sapporo resort.

In the meantime, Keitaro's smart phone buzzes, so he steps out of the dining room to answer it.

Running his finger across the faceplate, Keitaro sees who is calling him and a smile comes across his face. This is one call that he has been expecting from Reiji for a while now. _He hopes that all is well._

Back at the table…

"Wow, who would have thought that?" asks Sarah rhetorically. Never in her life has she heard some of the things that both Shizuru and Naru are telling them about lesbian relationships. _However, the looks she has been receiving from the two also give her some trepidations._

Sarah and Mio have not been in a same sex relationship for as long as the other two couples here have, but these revelations surprise the both of them.

Kitsune and Hana stifle laughs.

Motoko and Shinobu blush a deep crimson.

Kaolla, she eats and tunes the others out as this is of no importance to her.

"So what you're saying is that there are a lot of young women like us around the country from high class families?" asks Mio incredulously.

Mei just sits back and listens. Although she has her own way of using words, it just does not seem appropriate to say or add anything at this time.

"Well, Mio-chan," says Kitsune about to be sarcastic once more, "Let us just say that it is a good thing that Haruka and Tsuruko are not here to find out about this. Shit, those two would be royally pissed off that they missed out on all that much 'carpet-munching'."

With this offhanded remark from the Fox, Shizuru and Naru look at each other knowingly before laughing aloud.

"Gomenasai," says Shizuru while laughing, "It's just that Naru-chan here said the same thing only this morning."

This comment get laughter from the others and Shinobu turns an even deeper shade of red.

Keitaro comes back into the common room with a smile on his face.

Everyone catches on to this right away.

"Motoko-chan, may I speak to you in private for a moment?" asks Keitaro walking over to his youngest lover.

As all eyes turn to her as Motoko stands.

He takes her hand and leads her into the kitchen so that they can have some privacy.

The two sit at the small table off to the side.

"Mo-chan, I have some very good news for you and I believe it is something that you will want to hear it," says Keitaro looking her in the eye.

"What is it, my Keitaro-sama?" asks Motoko who sits here and waits expectantly for him to tell her.

"Reiji-kun has just called me from Kyoto. He tells me that your Okā-san has secretly left the Aoyama compound and has gone to Osaka to be with your Otō-san," says Keitaro.

"What does this mean, my Keitaro-sama?" asks Motoko trying to comprehend the meaning of his words.

"From what Reiji can gather, Mo-chan," says Keitaro, "Your Okā-san has rejected the Aoyama just like you and Tsuruko have, and she has taken your Otō-san's family name for her own. Then, Haruka tells me that she has reconciled with Tsuruko-nee and now accepts her relationship with Haruka. Your Okā-san wants to know if she can come see you here and personally ask for your forgiveness. I will support any decision that you make."

At first, Motoko does not know what to think. She remembers how kind and loving her Okā-san was to her when she was little, but with everything that has happened between them over past couple of years it may prove to be a difficult reconciliation at best. In conclusion, Motoko will need to see any change for herself before she can truly forgive her Okā-san after having all of her ideals shattered.

"My Keitaro-sama, I need some time to think about this," replies Motoko as she puts her hands into his, "Too much has gone on recently, and although I am happy for my Otō-san, as well as my Ane-ue, it will take me some time before I can come to a decision about my Okā-san."

Tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes as she begins to see a light at the end of the tunnel. _She would love to see her Okā-san again, but Motoko refuses to rush into anything._

"Mo-chan, I know that I came to you and blurted this right out," says Keitaro softly as he gently takes her hands to his chest, "but I thought if you heard it clearly from me we could end this part of our lives and get passed it together. We have plenty of time, because I believe that she needs it too."

He kisses Motoko's forehead before she places her hands onto his broad shoulder.

"Arigato gozaimasu, my Keitaro-sama," says Motoko, Aishiteru." Pulling back some, she turns her head and tenderly kisses his cheek as the tears stop falling.

"Aishiteru, Mo-chan," replies Keitaro.

They stand here for a few minutes and just hold onto each other, nothing else.

"Do you feel like going back into the dining room to finish eating, Mo-chan?" asks Keitaro.

Without answering at first, she just looks up at him for a moment and takes the opportunity to dry her face with a tissue. Taking a fresh cleansing breath, Motoko says, "I will be alright now, my Keitaro-sama."

Nodding together, they then go through into the other room hand-in-hand.

Finally…

Outside, driving up the back way to the Hinata Hill's driveway is Mutsumi coming back from Haneda International Airport in Tokyo. She is in an ecstatic mood because of the two people with her.

Here is why…

_At the airport, Mutsumi gave her camera phone a big workout from the snaps she took as soon as they came into sight._

_"Okā-san," cries the voice of a little boy who has her brilliant sunny smile that seems to be a family trait. _

_This happy little boy claps his hands together in his Obaa-san's arms at the sight of Mutsumi._

_Taking Keita into her arms allows Mutsumi to bond with her son._

_At the same time that all of this is happening, her Okā-san is giving her own camera phone quite a workout by taking snaps of the re-union at a furious pace._

_Mutsumi will remember this sight for the rest of her life, seeing her son's joy at their reunion._

Back at the top of Hinata Hill…

Otohime Natsumi is very impressed by all of the work that her daughter's lover has done to the backside of the ancient Hinata manse. She has not been here since she and her husband last visited during an O-Bon festival when Mutsumi was Keita's age.

'This place looks magnificent,' she thinks.

Mutsumi pulls into the residents' lot.

Stepping out of her car, Mutsumi takes a sleeping Keita out of his booster seat in the rear.

Her Okā-san hovers nearby still taking snaps as they head over the bridge to the backdoor.

Meanwhile, inside the Hinata, every one hears Kaolla's system announce that a car is parking in the rear lot.

Kitsune and Motoko, along with the others, see Keitaro dart out from the dining room and turn left towards the back entrance.

Everyone else gets up from the table as well, and follows him.

_The older residents have an inkling of what is about to happen._

Before Keitaro can slip his on his shoes and jacket to go outside, the backdoor slides open.

Stepping into the rear foyer is Mutsumi, and an older woman who could easily be her twin. In her arms, there is a little boy on the verge of waking up.

Mio and Mei take quick notice of this as they stand with the small crowd out here.

Everyone standing here gets a big surprise when the boy looks up at Keitaro and happily cries, "Otō-san."

End of Chapter


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